Walking Payne
by ChaosFaNtAsYD
Summary: *foul language, sexual themes, gore, trauma. You have been warned.* He first laid his eyes on her when she walked into camp. She walked away and he thought he'd never see her again. Only, the Greene family has a neighbor. With a toned body, brown hair, golden eyes, and a foul mouth that says she wants him. Him. He doesn't think he's worth wanting but she could prove him wrong.
1. Chapter 1

*****Disclaimer! I do not own any part or character of the walking dead. Only my own OC. There is mature language. And sexual themes...in later chapters. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!*******

When the world went to shit she was traveling to her home after visiting her mother in Illinois. The train had stopped at a station still a few hundred miles from her stop. The station was shut down and locked tightly with the train blocking and luggage blocking the tunnel entrance and exit. She huffed in annoyance and grabbed her bag from the barricade. The news reports said that after a disease ran through the country, dead were coming back and started to eat other people. So what? She could take care of herself and her love of all things dorky and physical would ensure she was well protected. Pulling metal bracers from her bag, she strapped them to her forearms. One of which holding an emblem from assassins creed. It was her favorite. Giving a testing downward flick of her wrist, the hidden blade shot forward and she grinned before retracting it. Taking a few bills from her wallet, she punched in the code in the vending machine for a few bottles of water and a few packs of snacks and granola bars. Shoving them into her bag, she lifted the strap over her shoulder and climbed onto the train. "Miss, you need to get down! For your own safety, you can't leave the station until it calms down outside." One of the conductors shouted. "Shutup! I'm goin' home. You fuckers can die here for all i care!" She shouted and flipped her middle finger up before pulling her bag down and laying on her stomache to crawl under the space between the wall and train. She was not going to be holed up with a bunch of shitheads in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere. She'd rather risk it and die at her own home.

Sunlight hit her eyes and she squinted against the harsh glare and jumped down as soon as her feet cleared the wall. Her bag clanged as it hit the ground. Unzipping it slightly, she pulled a long black cane from her bag and zipped it back. Years ago she had destroyed her knee in a game of basketball and the cane helped for when the pain flaired up. A present from her dad back when he was alive. Best part about her cane besides the teflon covered concrete ball as its grip was the fact that she could unscrew a portion of it half way down to reveal a short sword. For protection. Her dad had been slightly paranoid. For that she was grateful. She had a small obsession about blades. Running her fingers through her hair, she gruffed at the long brown mess, hating that she forgot her pack of hair ties at her moms. Shoving a pair of sunglasses on her face, she began to walk, gripping her cane as her boots kicked away a crushed can in the gravel. She liked to walk so walking the rest of the way home wouldn't be an issue.

It had been 2 weeks since she started and she still hadn't reached her home. The news had been right, to her immence annoyance. Dead folks came back to life and wanted nothing more than to tear the skin and meat from her ass. The first kill had scared the ever loving shit out of her but after that it had gotten easier. They weren't alive anymore. Just bodies running on nerve spasms and instinct. No longer people. Her bracers came in more handy than she had thought and for that she was happy. As she walked the heat had gotten to her, forcing her to strip off her outer shirt and rollup the bottom of her racerback in hopes of a breeze blowing across her heated skin. Her pants had ripped in a few places but she didn't care. Atleast her boots still worked fine and kept her feet protected and dry. Even if they did sweat terribly in the heat. Ahead of her a sign read that a quarry was ahead by a few miles. She coud certainly use some more water and to wash up a bit. Her upper arms were covered in sweat and zombie gore and she stunk to high heaven. A low moan signaled the approach of one of the dead freaks and she twisted her cane, bringing out her sword and holding the unattached bottom in her other hand, swinging both in a brief circle before gripping them tightly. It stumbled through the trees, an arm missing and most of its intestines dragging on the ground behind it. Do zombies Shit? Thats a gross thought. Stomping towards it, she shoved her sword through its eye. It dropped with a thump and she gagged at the slimy remains left on her sword. She wiped it on the zombies clothes and twisted the end of her cane back on. Hauling a water bottle from her bag, she drank the final remains and shoved the empty bottle back into her bag.


	2. Chapter 2

*******Disclaimer! I do not own any part or character of the walking dead. Only my OC...regretably..*******

Nearing the Quarry she slowed at the sight of people moving about. No jerking moements. No moans. Just people. Talking. "Son of a bitch. If that aint the best piece of tail i've seen in weeks." She froze and turned her head to look towards the voice. Two men walked out from the woods, holding a crossbow and a gun in their hands. She turned and began to walk away but the bigger one stepped in her path. "Come here sweetheart and let me have a look at that face." His hand reached towards her face and she jerked back. "Get the fuck outta my way." She growled out. "Well listen to the little bitch. Got a temper! I like a girl with fire in her." She grit her teeth and looked him over to size up her chances. Tall and strong, stocky build and a dirty blonde buzz cut with a face she was willing to bet not even his mother would love. Taking a look at the other man she paused. Tall and slender with muscles that made her want to drool. Blue eyes and short brown hair with a mustache and beard. She liked facial hair. "You can't handle me now move you shit-stain." She growled out and moved to shove past him. "oh I think I could handle you just fine. But getting any closer is a no go. Less you pay the price." He leered towards her chest and she tensed. "Ain't giving you shit. Don't wanna go near you piss heads, just need water." A figure walked closer from the group of people. "Whats goin on here?" A man strode forward. "This little thing wandered up here and wants our water. I say she pays for it." The big dumbass said. "If its an issue then i'll take my slap happy ass on elsewhere before I let this asswipe touch me. That one I wouldn't mind but not him." She growled out, jerking a thumb in the direction of the man behind her with a crossbow. "Oh so we got a cradle robber, hear that baby brother?" She sneered. "Yep. I'm gone. Eat shit and die." She turned and began to walk away, a hand squeezed around her upper arm and she reared her cane to smash it against the offending arm. "Don't you fucking touch me." She seethed out and turned again only for another hand to grab her. Turning quickly, she slammed her fist into the jaw of the dumbass that grabbed her and jerked her knee up into his face as he bent to the ground. "Whoa now. Just get some water and go. We don't need the extra headache." The new man said. "Did I ask to fucking stay? Keep you're damn water. I'll find my own. Fuck yall." She turned and stomped away.

* Daryl POV*  
Daryl looked towards the road leading to the quarry and slapped his hand against his brothers arm. Merle looked towards where he indicated and whistled lowly. A woman stridded confidently towards the camp. Metal gleaming on her forearms, tattoos jagedly etched on her upper arms and across the back of her shoulders. Long brown wavy hair trailing down to the middle of her back. 5 rings through each ear and a 6th on her right ear tip and a stud poked out from the left corner of her lower lip. A black racerback shirt rolled up to leave her stomache bare. Ripped blue jeans stuck to her long legs and a leather belt hugged her waist. Cracked leather boots stomped on the ground heel to toe. A tattoo sat on her hip, continuing below her pants line. Another sat on her ribs below her right breast. As she walked past he could see the large piece tattooed onto her back, only partially covered by her rolled up shirt. A slim and slightly toned stomache made him stare even as he wondered what her eyes looked like. The shades she wore over them were dark. Merle moved forward towards her and he moved behind him. "Son of bitch. If that aint the best piece of tail i've seen in weeks." Merle called out. The woman stopped and turned her head. He could see the downturn of her lips as they walked out from the cover of the trees and onto the road. She moved to turn and walk away but merle stood infront of her to block her way. "Come here sweetheart and let me have a look at that face." Merle reached for her face and she jerked away and he'd be damned if that didn't make him chuckle just a little. "Get the fuck outta my way." The growl in her voice was maybe the sexiest he'd ever heard. A woman with enough grit to push against Merle was rare. "Well listen to the little bitch. Got a temper! I like a girl with a little fire in her." Merle looked at her with a grin as his eyes traveled down. "You can't handle me now move shit-stain." That growl again. "Oh I think I could handle you just fine. But getting any closer is a no go. Less you pay the price." "Ain't giving you shit. Don't wanna go near you piss heads, just need water." Piss heads? Really? He smiled, just a small lift of the corner of his mouth and then it was gone. Ahead he could see Shane heading their way. "What's goin on here?" "This little thing wandered up here and wants our water. I say she pays for it." Merle sucked at his teeth as he stared towards her. "If its an issue then i'll take my slap happy ass on elsewhere before I let this asswipe touch me. That one I wouldn't mind but not him." He shifted his feet uncomfortably as she pointed towards him with her thumb. "Oh so we got a cradle robber, hear that baby brother?" He frowned. With Merle around he'd never be good enough to be called a man. He'd never be good enough to be anything but his baby brother. "Yep. I'm gone. Eat shit and die." She started to walk away and Merle grabbed her arm. The stick she was holding came up and she smacked his arm away. Only now did he realize the stick was a walking cane. "Don't you fuckin touch me." And she turned again. Again Merle grabbed her arm and she turned, slamming her fist into Merles face and then smashed her knee into his face. God how he wanted to do that. "Whoa now. Just get some water and go. We don't need the extra headache." Shane had a grin on his face too. "Did I ask to fucking stay? Keep you're damn water. I'll find my own. Fuck yall." She turned and stalked past him, a corner of her mouth lifted and her nose scrunched in a pissed off sneer. He watched her as she walked away, her hips swinging and jeans hugging her ass. The cane gripped in her hand tightly. Muscles bunching as she rolled her shoulders back in irritation. He smirked and turned towards his brother. Merle held his face and moved his jaw back and forth. "Damn that little bitch. I see her again i'm gunna make sure she pays. Gunna make that little bitch scream." Daryl grinned slightly. It was always fun to see if someone could hurt Merle. "Damn shame." Shane said as he watched her stomp away. "She'll probably be dead before then." The grin disappeared. Shane was probably right about that. One woman on her own, she was as good as dead.

It took nearly another week to reach her home and once she did, she began to work on her fence. Already zombies roamed about her land and on her porch and she did not like that. After clearing her home of anything dead, she cleared her small lot, and then tossed her bag inside her cabin. Grabbing her work gloves from a cabinet by the back door, she went to her garage and grabbed the post digger and an axe. Already a barbed wire fence ran around her land. The wire wrapped around grown trees at close intervals. Not close enough. Tossing her tools into the passenger seat of her truck, she started the engine and smiled at the resulting roar. Good thing her home and Garage were sound proof. Backing out, she drove deeper into the woods and looked for decent sized trees that she could use to add to her fence. After spotting a few, she stopped and hauled her axe with her. Chopping down the tree took near an hour and then chopping it into logs took another easily, and worked up a sweat but she didn't mind. She was never one to worry about sweaty clothes when there was a job to do. She didn't much have to worry about the back of her land as that part was protected by a pond. Grabbing the chain from the wench on the back of her truck, she wrapped it around logs and used it to place them in the bed of the truck. After hauling them back to her home, she grabbed her digger and began the grueling task of making the holes deep enough and big enough to accomadate the logs. By the time she was done digging, the sun was beginning to set. She for one did not want to be out at night when she had a perfectly good house to sleep in tonight. Wiping sweat away from her forehead, she set down the digger in the bed of the truck and headed into her home. In a corner of her Garage sat a generator. Flicking the switch on, she smiled as the lights came on. Quickly she put a sheet of tin over the Garage window and nailed it there. Going into her home, she pulled shut every storm shutter and locked them. Only a small panel that could be opened and closed remained. Stripping her clothes, she walked into her bathroom and grinned at the sight of her jacuzzi tub. Oh how she had missed it. Turning the knob for hot water, it gushed out cold at first and then turned steaming hot. She tossed in a handfull of epsom salt and reached into a jar for dried lavender, honeysuckle, and mint leaves. The scent that mixed in the steam made her relax as she stepped into the water. She groaned in appreciation as she sank her body lower. As the water reached her chest she turn the knob until the water stopped. Leaning back against the slanted back rest, she gather soap on a rag and scrubbed at her body. The feeling of a proper hot bath after almost a month of traveling was indescribable. As she soaked in the water after washing her hair, thought drifted through her mind. Tomorrow she would need to finish the fence, finish setting up the solar panels that she had started before she left, clean out the fridge as every single thing was likely ruined, check on the garden. A full day but one she was happy with. If she had time she would grab her bow and go hunting. Fresh meat would be nice. When her hands became prunes, she stood and pulled the drain, watching the once clear water swirl down the drain in a murky brown. Pulling a towel from the hall closet, she dried quickly and pulled on her pajamas of shorts and a sports bra. Sure she didn't have all that much to strap down only being a 32 in a C cup but it was enough to make some men happy even if she was more than a little self conscious about her size. In the kitchen she searched through her cabinets for a can of beef stew and happily emptied it into a pot to warm up. As it warmed she gather a cup of rice and poured it into a bowl with some water and popped it into the microwave for a few minutes. By the time the microwave beeped she turned off the stove and retrieved her softened rice, pouring some of the water out into a nearby bucket. The garden loved rice water. Her small meal of canned beef stew and rice seemed life heaven as she ate until her stomache couldn't hold anymore. When she was done she washed her bowl and the pot and poured herself a large glass of cold water. She gulped it down and set her glass by the sink before walking the small distance to her room. Her queen sized bed never looked so good in all her life. Slowly she climbed into her bed and pulled the blanket over her. The padding on her bed enveloped her in softness and she sighed as she settled in safety and comfort. Darkness surrounded her until she couldn't hold her eyes open anymore. Sleep claimed her.


	3. Chapter 3

*****Disclaimer! I do not own any part of the story or characters of the walking dead...sadly...Only my OC.*****

She next morning she woke and went to the kitchen for a small breakfast of grits. After she ate, she dressed in a fresh pair of pants, her boots, and a clean grey T-shirt. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she pulled a cap on and walked out the door. Fog still rolled over the ground as she stepped off her porch. Heading towards her truck, she began the long task of setting logs into the holes she had dug. For some they fit snugly between the trees which would be good for her fence line. For each log she positioned her truck to be able to slide them off. It took hours to set them all but by the time she was done, she was pleased with the security it would provide. Next she began to finish the wiring for her solar panels, simple things that didn't take long and hooking them to a large battery pack to store the energy. After that she grabbed the bucket from inside and walked out to her garden where her tomatoes were growing large, her corn was ready to be picked, beans ready for shelling, cucumbers ripe and squash fat and yellow. Not far from her garden was her small orchard as she liked to call it. There wasn't much to it. Only a few fruit trees that produced well. Apples, oranges, peaches, pears, plums. After pouring the water onto her tomato vines, she picked the rippest ones from each and took them inside. She set them on her counter and then braced herself before opening her fridge. She coughed in disgust at the wave of rotten stench that reached her. Thankfully it wasn't as much as it would have been if she hadn't cleaned out most of her fridge before she left. Dumping the contents of her fridge and freezer into the garbage went quickly. After wiping it down until she was satisfied, she set about making a pitcher of tea and making dough for bread with powdered milk. She knew this skill would come in handy one day.

Tea was made and the dough was rising as she split her garden haul into a basket and hefted it towards her living room. Placing on her bracers and grabbing a hunting knife from her gun cabinet that admittedly held more knives and swords than guns, she then went to her truck and started it, making her way down her own driveway and towards her neighbors home. Hopefully he and his daughters would still be alive and if not then she would put them down and give them a proper funeral. She stopped once to open the gate in his driveway and then closed it behind her. She drive wasn't long and then she was parking her truck infront of his house. Even from where she sat she could see him walking out on his porch and giving her a smile. "Hey Hershel." She called as she jumped from her truck, basket in hand. "If it isn't Miss Ellie Payne Anderson. We thought you didn't make it. It's good to see that we were wrong." She smiled toward the white haired older man that was her neighbor and stepped up on his porch. "Happy to prove you wrong. I only got home yesterday. Took me a long while to make it back. Trains quit runnin a few hundred miles back so I had to walk it. Wasn't too bad but the world has gone crazy. And look here, I brought goodies from my garden." She said, showing off her basket. "Much appreciated. Come in, have something to drink. If you haven't cooked yet, you are more than welcome at our table tonight." He offered. "I can never turn down a good meal." She said and followed after him into his house. Inside, his oldest daughter, Maggie, bounced over to her and slung her arm around her shoulders. "Good to see you again. Now I have someone to talk to besides Beth and Patricia. Have a good trip?" She laughed and nodded. "Good all the way till time to come home. I had to walk home from a podunk town trainstation outside . That was not fun." "Well I'm glad you're back." Maggie said and walked away. She deposited her basket in the kitchen and gave the lovely blonde older woman a hug. Patricia was a quiet woman but always so sweet.

For the next 2 weeks or so her day became routine. She would tend her garden, improve her fence, go hunting. Today though she would be making a run into town. Grabbing one of her machete style swords, 2 hunting knives, and a .9 mm with a silencer, she also strapped on her bracers and running shoes. She needed the swiftness they helped provide incase it came to more of the dead than she could successfully take down. Braiding her hair back, she then grabbed her bow and slung it across her shoulder with her quiver of arrows at her back. Today she was going for as many canned foods as she could, feminine items, and dog food, seeing as the Greenes had generously watched her wolf-dog Demon. After starting her truck, the drive went by quickly. Her first stop was a small grocery store that held more dead than she felt comfortable with but she had confidence that could handle it. If that confidence was misplaced then so be it. With the sun up it made looking through the store slightly easier but she had forgotten to bring her flashlight so she refused to go much further from the front. She shoved cans into a duffel bag and then moved over to the feminine isle. There, next to the products she needs were 2 dead. Slowly she placed down her bag and drew her sword. Without much noise, the dead had no idea she was even there. Quickly she sliced through their skulls with a single swing from her sword. The bodies hit the ground with a loud THUD. Hurriedly she gathered the small boxes and packages and quickly tossed it into the back of her truck before returning for a few bags of dog food. Just her luck, 5 more dead shambled up and down the isle. With little hope of being able to sneak past to get the bags, her only choice was to fight. Drawing out her sword again, she sliced quickly. Dodging reaching arms and snapping mouths while putting a blade between the eyes. As she hacked down another, a moan came from behind her. Looking back, she quickly raised her arm. Gnashing teeth bit down on her bracer as she slashed the dead infront of her down. Thank god for her bracer. Pulling her arm from its mouth, she flicked her wrist downward and punched its temple. Yanking her blade from its skull, she let out a relieved breath and grabbed 3 of the biggest bags she could get. Tossing them in the back of her truck, she had a thought. Turning her truck to face the store, she turned on her high beams and grinned as the light filled the store. Running back in, she grabbed bottles of tylenol, ace bandages, gauze, medical tape, rubbing alcohol, needles, thread, anti-diarhea, pepto, anti-nausea, midol, asprin, beef jerky, candy, more candy. She was well aware that she was a candy fiend. Happy with her loaded haul, she deposited a reuseable shopping back stuffed full into her passenger seat and then went to her home. On her porch sat her fluffy companion, alert and tail wagging at her arrival. She made quick work of putting away all that she had gathered and placed a heaping bowl of dog food down in the kitchen. His grey and black coat shinning as he quickly ate his food. "You stay here Bubby. I'm gunna go hunt." She ruffled his fur and headed outside, bringing her bow forward with an arrow loosely notched. Quietly she searched the ground for signs of deer. Plenty of footprints but no hoof prints. She walked further until her eyes caught sight of a fat wild turkey perched on a low tree branch. Pulling back her bowstring to the corner of her mouth, she quickly released and smirked as her arrow brought down the fat bird. Its wings still flapped uselessly as she stepped over to it. Pulling out her hunting knife, she slit its throat and waited for its movements to stop. Happily she picked it up and walked back to her home where she plucked and skinned and butchered the animal, giving the guts and organs to Demon as a treat which he was happy to accept. He was big as a dog but he was also part wolf. She herself came to 5'9" and on all fours his head came to her waist. He was a massive fluff ball that had his own stuffed teddy bear that he wouldn't go to sleep without. She laughed and put most of the meat away in her freezer before using one of the thighs to make the meat and stock for chicken and dumplings...well...turkey and dumplings.

It was the next day that something went wrong. Maggie came galloping up to her porch, scrambling to open the door. "What's wrong?" She asked quickly. "Someones been shot. Dad sent me to see if you have any gauze, pain killers, IV needles and to know what you're blood type is." She rushed about collecting things into a bag and then ushered Maggie out the door where they mounted the horse. "O negative. Universal. Lets go." Maggie spurred the horse and quickly it galloped, jumping over her fence and rushing through the woods to the Greene farm.


	4. Chapter 4

*Obligatory Disclaimer! I do not own any character of the walking dead. Just my OC!**

As they arrived close enough to the porch, she jumped down and sped into the house, a commotion in the upper guest room drew her their and she froze as she saw a stranger laying in the bed, bleeding heavily. A boy maybe 10 years old by the looks of him. "Payne, it's good you're here. Thanks for bringing what I asked for. What's your blood type?" Hershel asked. "O negative." She said. "Good. That's a blessing. Rick, this is my neighbor and a dear friend, Payne. Payne this is Rick and this is his boy Carl. You're still good and healthy right payne?" Hershel asked. "Yep. Good blood. Used to donate every other month." Hershel nodded his head. "That's good. Rick can only give so much blood. We'll need you later." She looked over to see a sweaty brown haired man in a sheriffs uniform covered in blood. "Just let me know when, it's all yours." She said as she placed a hand on the mans shoulder. He looked up at her and she could see how pale he was getting. A needle was sticking from his arm and blood flowing through a tube into a jug. "Thankyou." He said with a shaky breath and sniffled as he went back to looking towards his son. Pulling a pack of cookies from her pocket she pulled one out and handed it towards him. He shook his head. "You'll need it. The sugar will help with the dizziness after. Can't watch over him if you pass out." She said. "Best listen to her Rick. She's a liscenced nurse." Hershel said as he pulled the needle from Ricks arm. "Thankyou for helping him." A womans voice. She turned quickly to seeing a crying woman sitting on a chair behind Rick. "That's Lori, Carls mother." Hershel said. She nodded. "Why don't you go and sit in the living room. He's stable for the moment and drawing blood from Payne will take a while. It will give us enough to last through the surgery when they get back." Rick slowly stood, shaky on his feet and backed away. The mother slowly doing the same. She sat in the chair Rick vacated and tugged her own turniquit around her arm after removing her bracer. "Little pinch." Hershel said as he slid a new needle into her arm. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out once the needle was placed and tapped down. Her blood began to flow into the tube and into an empty jug.

half an hour later Hershel pulled the needle from her arm and she wobbled as she stood. "Nice and slow. Go and get a cup of water, eat your cookies. I took alot from you." She nodded and pulled on her bracer, slowly making her way from the room and towards the kitchen. In the living room the woman, Lori, rushed up to her. She froze as the woman wrapped her arms around her. "Thankyou so much." The woman said between gasps for breath. She nodded and patted the womans back. "He's gunna be fine, just you wait and see." She said as the woman released her. In the kitchen Patricia quickly fixed her a glass of water and she slowly drank it while munching on a sugar cookie. Taking her cap off, she pulled her ponytail down as she felt the tension from it was giving her a headache. Running her fingers through her hair helping the nagging ache disappate. After a while she felt better and went to retrieve her bow from where she had slung it off by the chair when she was giving blood. Quietly, so as not to disturb the exhausted couple, she grabbed her bow and turned only to nearly run into hershel. She clenched a fist over her heart and puffed out a breath. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "Good enough. Figure i'll head home. If you need anything, i'll be there. I'll come back tomorrow to see if you need anything. Do they need anything right now?" She asked. "No. Just him." She looked over at Rick and nodded at the teary eyes that stayed glued to the boy infront of him. With a nod she turned and left from the house, passing two strange men, walking through the woods to reach her home and let Demon out to do his business.

The next day she woke groggy and stumbled to her shower. The hot spray waking her up enough to remind her that she hadn't eaten anything last night. After washing quickly she dressed in jeans, panties, bra, and a dark blue racerback. She pulled on her boots and bracers, shoving a hunting knife onto her belt clip. In her kitchen she scrambled eggs that the Greenes had been kind enough to give her. A breakfast of eggs and toast would settle well on her stomache. Finishing her breakfast, she washed her dish and got out what she would need to bake fresh loaves of bread. The Greenes would need it with their new company. A big batch would make four loaves. The process took a few hours to complete after mixing and letting it rise and kneading and rising again and actually baking. In that time she picked a basket full of fruit and hauled most of her turkey from her freezer along with a large bag of deer meat. It would feed the small family for a while. One of the loaves of dough she had made, she had turned into rolls. When it was done baking she shoved them all into a basket and hauled them towards her truck. She couldn't very well carry all this stuff in her arms. With a thought of curtisy she ran back inside to get her pitcher of sweet tea and carefully brought it along with her. The drive was short and as she pulled into the Greenes yard she spotted more vehicles. An Rv, a jeep, an SUV and a motorcycle. She quirked her eyebrow in question before shutting off the engine and jumping from her truck.

A gun nearing her face made her screech before she snatched the offending weapon to the side and slammed her fist into someones jaw. People began to rush around her, shouting and pointing guns. "Come on fuckers! Bring it!" She shouted and using the gun she had snatched, pointed it back at them, pulling her hunting knife and gripping it tightly with her left hand. "Stop! Don't shoot! Stop! That's a friend of ours!" Maggie came running from the house shouting and stood infront of her. A blonde woman groaned on the ground, holding her jaw and casting hate filled glares at her. "Don't you fucking look at me like that. You had a gun in my face. Piss off." She growled towards the woman. "Whoa. Guns down. I know her." She looked over to see Rick striding quickly towards them and the guns lowered. Maggie sighed in relief and placed a hand over her head. "Give me my gun." She looked over at the blonde and held it out for the woman to grab. The woman snatched the weapon and she made a noise of disapproval at the womans glare. "Bitch." She muttered. "Don't mind her. That's Andrea." Rick said. She nodded and pulled the heavy baskets from her truck. She gave Rick the basket of bread being it was lighter and handed the pitcher of tea to Maggie. She carried the basket filled with fruit and bags of meat. "I brought bread and fruits and tea and some meat you can cook with. Thought you might be hungry and didn't wanna put all that hunger on Hershel." She huffed out, still annoyed by her greeting. "Thankyou. We appreciate it." Rick nodded. "How's carl?" She asked. "He's doing better. Hershel was able to get the bullet out and he's stable. In a lot less pain thanks to you." She shifted, uncomfortable with being thanked so much. "Well lets get these people feed. I see you have a camp set up, should we set it there or in the house?" She asked. "If you woudn't mind, I know some of this would be really appreciated at the camp." Rick said. She nodded and followed after him into the ring of cars near the RV.


	5. Chapter 5

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part or character of the walking dead! Only my OC*

"Everyone, this is Payne. She helped us out yesterday and she came today to bring us some food." Rick called out. A small makeshift table rested nearby and she set her basket down beside ricks, taking the covers off as maggie set down the pitcher of tea. She handed the bags of frozen meat to rick. "One is turkey and one is deer. Thought you might like some somewhat fresh meat. Hunted them a few days ago." She said. The people crowded around again, reaching for a roll or fruit, getting tea. She squinted her eyes as she saw a man sitting on the porch. He seemed familiar. "I don't suppose yall were camped at a rock quarry about 3 weeks ago were you?" She asked. Turning her head she saw suspicous glances towards her. "We were." Rick said. "How'd you know that?" She stiffened. "I tried to go there for water. Some assholes wouldn't let me. Tch, i'm leaving. Keep the food. I'll be a good girl, be nicer to yall than yall were to me." She sneered and turned, marching into hershels home with a scowl towards the now buzz cut man sitting on the porch. The same man that said they didn't need the extra headache. Fucker. She checked on carl and asked if Hershel needed anything. "No but we'd appreciate if you'd stay for Otis's funeral." She stumbled mid stride. Otis is dead? "When did it happen?" She asked wide eyed. "Otis and one of Ricks men went to the school to get some medical equipment for the boys surgery before you got here yesterday. He didn't make it back." Hershel looked towards his hands and rubbed at his mouth. "I'll stay. Just let me get Demon. I could use the company." She said with warble to her voice as she tried to keep tears from spilling over. She strode out into the yard and climbed into the back of her truck. A few people gave her weird glances as she raised two fingers to her mouth. A long loud and sharp whistle erupted from her mouth and she saw the startled way the people moved to hush her. She frowned and glared towards them. Nobody shuts her up. After a few minutes of tense waiting she began to see the tall grass parting. "Something is coming this way fast!" A man shouted. "If you shoot him I swear to god I will murder you assholes!" She shouted angrily and jumped down as her boy came into view. He came charging towards her and turned sharply, crouching low to the ground infront of her and growling dangerously towards the people. "Hey there bubby. You musta ran pretty fast huh? Good boy." She scratched at his neck until he stopped baring his teeth. A low growl still rumbled but not as loudly. "That is not a dog. What the fuck is that!?" The blonde woman, Andrea, shouted. "He's my dog and he will kill you if you try to hurt me. Or him. But then again if you try to hurt him, I'll kill you myself." She said and walked back into the house, watching as Demon jumped onto the couch to lick and cuddle up to a crying Patricia.

The funeral was small but meant alot to the Greenes. She held patricia against her and Demon whined against her leg. Looking through the crowd of strangers, she spotted the brown haired man that had been one of the few she saw at the quarry. She looked around for his asshole of a brother and was happy to say she didn't see him. After the funeral was over she helped patricia back inside. "Hey, I know you probably don't like some of those people but they lost a little girl. Someone is going out to look for her soon. Would you be willing to help?" Maggie asked as she stopped her in the hallway. She tensed and strode outside where Rick and the brown haired man stood looking at a map. "I hear you need some help looking for someone." She offered and watched as Rick turned. "It'd be much appreciated. We'll start it out right, tomorrow morning. She nodded but didn't like that they would start tomorrow. It's a little girl alone in the woods. They needed to start now. She scoffed aloud and slung her bow from her back. She could look now while they sat on their asses. Marching towards the tree line she noticed the brown haired man heading off into the woods on his own. Good. Atleast someone is willing to do some damn work for the girl. She went first towards the highway, a few dead inbetween that were easy enough to take care of. As she looked for traces she shot down the furry critters that ran from her approach. Finding more meat to feed the group of people leeching off the Greenes would be decent enough if she couldn't find anything in the short time she left to look. Even as she searched and hunted, she failed to notice the man from earlier until a bolt stole the fat squirel she had been aiming for. Easing the tension from her bow she grumbled but watched as he stooped to pick it up, retrieving his bolt and hanging the squirel on a game hook attached to his belt. Could have been her hormones that made her want to fuck him. Or it could be his clear blue eyes and the fact that she hadn't gotten laid in almost a year. As much as she wanted to be a whore and fuck him after the first time she saw him, she couldn't. She knew nothing about him besides the fact that she liked how he looked. She had standards damnit!...She rolled her shoulders as an ache began to form. Watching him retreat back towards the Greenes farm she sighed and walked back behind him. Ahead tents were already set up and the people dashing around busily. She slammed her catch of squirels down beside his on the table that had held her bread earlier. Looking towards the sky she saw the darkness encrouching. Glaring towards it she jogged over to her truck and whistled shrilly for Demon. The massive dog barreled from the house and jumped into the passenger seat once she held the door open. She didn't like the dark. Slamming her door shut, she ignored the looks from the group and glared as the look of sympathy on Maggies face. Starting her truck, she reversed harshly before speeding out of the driveway and towards her home.

After she arrived at her home she raced inside and locked her doors. Her heart pounding heavily against her ribs as her breath refused to enter her lungs. She didn't like the dark. Sliding against the door, Demon nosed against her face and she gripped his fur tightly. Tears streamed from her eyes as she fought to let the past stay in the past. She didn't want or need her own demons coming back to haunt her, but they did. Most nights she could handle it, the fear that night brought. Some nights, it was just too much. It's the reason she had sound proofed her home. She didn't want people to hear when she couldn't handle it. Her body ached and pulsed. Points of white hot pain throughout her being. Dragging herself on hands and knees towards the far wall, she flipped the switch and pressed her face against the wall as the light flickered on. Biting down on her lip to the point of drawing blood, she eased back and counted to 10. Breath in, hold, breath out. Count to 10. Repeat. Once her heart no longer felt like it was being crushed, she crawled towards her bed and cuccooned herself in the blankets. Willing herself to sleep almost never worked but her supply of alcohol was running low. Eventually she drifted to sleep, dreaming of running through the woods in the dead of night.


	6. Chapter 6

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part of the story or any character of the walking dead. Only my OC*

***Daryl POV***  
They had just arrived at the farm house and Daryl began to set up his tent. No way he was goin in that house with crying women all over the place. He thought over where the best place to start looking for Sophia would be. Following the track from the creek would be his best start... As he thought, he saw a large jacked up black truck drive closer and park near the house. He watched as Andrea crept up with her gun drawn as a strange woman jumped out. A squeal left the womans mouth and he chuckled as she threw a right hook into Andreas face. Most everybody else started to gather around, pointing their guns. "Come on Fuckers! Bring it!" She shouted and he chuckled again. She looked familiar. Seeing the tattoos on her shoulders helped to jog his memory. A woman saying she wouldn't mind if he touched her. Not Merle but him. "Stop! Don't shoot! Stop! That's a friend of ours!" The cowgirl, maggie. Andrea moaned from the ground and the woman sneered towards her. "Don't you fucking look at me like that. You had a gun in my face. Piss off." The way she growled it out was the same as when she had bitched at Merle. Like he said, she had grit. "Whoa, guns down, I know her." Rick came trotting up and he looked away. What the fuck was he doing watching them anyway? None of his business what they did. "Everyone, this is Payne. She came yesterday to help out and she came today to bring us some food." So thats her name. Who the fuck names their girl Payne? Then again, what girl would want him to touch them...They usually went after Merle. Even if it was just for drugs. He scoffed, fuck them, the trashy ass bitches. He sure as shit didn't want them anyway. Drugged out and sloppy. He sure as hell didn't want Merle's seconds. His eyes flickered over to her and he saw her scrunch her nose towards the house. Following her glare, he saw shane at the end of it. So she remembered them...Or atleast Shane. Figures that's the one she would remember. Knew the bitch was lying...He busied himself with setting up his tent until he was called by rick. "The funeral for Otis is starting."

He stood watching as the others picked a rock from a pile and put it over the fresh grave. Hershel spewing his speach about god before shane walked up. Looking over he watched as Payne held a crying woman against her, smoothing her hair down and clenching her fists till they were white knuckled. A beast of a dog sat at her feet whinning. Her eyes swept up and he froze seeing bright golden eyes looking over them. Switching his gaze towards the grave infront of him, he ignored the feeling of her eyes on him. As soon as the funeral was over he went to grab up his crossbow. With the time left he wouldn't be able to follow a decent trail but he could catch some food. It would get him away from all the people and he could get his mind off that woman.

The sun was going down quicker than he would have thought. With only half a dozen squirels he wasn't very satisfied with his haul. Irritated at his own bad luck, he walked back to the farm, setting his catch on the only table they had for carol or lori to cook up the meat later. He jumped as a full dozen squirels were slammed down on the table beside his. Glaring over, he paused as he noticed Payne looking towards the rapidly darkening sky. Her breath hitched and she stomped off towards her truck. a loud whistle and the beast she caled a dog ran out, jumping into the truck. The door slammed shut and it cranked with a roar. Backing out quickly, it then tore away from the house, tearing up dirt and grass. "What the fuck is her problem?!" He gruffed out just a bit louder than he meant to. "She doesn't like the dark. Never has. Holes herself up at night. I was suprised to see her still here." Maggie had walked towards them with her arms folded. "I didn't much like being out here at dark either when I was younger. After the sun started to go down all you'd hear is screaming and shooting and shouting. It stopped a few years ago but nobody wanted to be out out after dark anymore." Daryl looked at her like she was crazy. "So you got a damn boogie man. Grow the fuck up." He growled out and watched as her tail lights faded through the trees before making an abrupt left. Paynes kills by his, he noted to single shot each had taken. That she had been right behind him to the farm and he didn't hear a thing. Part of that made him wary...

The stiffling heat of day woke her from her cuccoon of covers. Dragging herself from the bed she roughly ran a brush through her hair and wondered not for the first time how she had any hair left at all. Giving herself a quick warrior braid only to the base of her skull, the rest fell in a low ponytail. Pulling on a worn pair of jeans and a simple grey tank, she then pulled on her boots. She had slept in her bracers and at the moment she didn't really care if they left a mark. Tucking her hunting knife into its sheath at her belt, she tugged her bow over her shoulder and made sure she had plenty of arrows. She grabbed a bottle of water and gulped it down, afterwards ripping open a pack of beef jerky as her not quite healthy but healthy enough breakfast. It would last her a while. Shoving an extra pack into her back pocket for later, she decided to check her property. Only a few dead walked about outside her fence and with her knife she made quick work of them. A quick shove into oddly soft skulls and they fell. As she began to wander back towards her home she saw a feathered fiend walking across a small clearing. Beak pecking towards the ground without care. She smiled and aimed her arrow quietly. Releasing her arrow, she grinned as the fat bird fell with wings flapping, arrow sticking out from its rib cage. Slitting its throat to drain the blood and give it a quick end, she then picked it up and took it back to her home, shoving it into a garbage bag for the group back at the Greenes farm. Grabbing a sucker from her bouqet of suckers, she popped it into her mouth and loaded the bird into her truck with a 6 pack of beer before making her way back to Hershels.


	7. Chapter 7

*Disclaimer! I own nothing but my OC!*

*Also, please review so I know my writing isn't shit :D*

As she arrived she handed the bag O' bird off to Lori and headed straight to where a small group had gathered around the hod of a truck. A map spread across it. She stuck her finger down on the map. "Don't go here." She said around the sucker in her mouth. "I'll look around it and inbetween the farm and there. after that I'll look east until I hit the creek. Make sure she hasn't headed in that direction. If I don't find anything I'll follow along the highway and back towards the farm." She said and quickly walked to her truck to grab her bow. "Daryl is gunna look inbetween here and the highway. If you meet up, you could spread out a bit and cover more ground." Rick called. She nodded and lengthened her stride and began to jog. Searching through the brush was easy enough, Going around her home, she dispatched any dead that she found roaming and saw no trace of small child like footprints. Past the Greenes driveway she found a spot that the group had left a sign for the lost girl. "Sophia." She mumbled as she made to memorize the name. Going to the side rails she looked until she spotted a small set of foot prints in the mud. The dead had been after her clearly. Following the prints, she came to a small creek where dead bodies lay. A scuffle had taken place. On the other side of the creek she saw the small prints continue and she followed after them in a straight line until it shifted to the right. If they had told her the direction to go to get back to the highway, why did she veer off? That was a dumb thought. A small girl alone in the woods with dead people trying to eat her, any small sound would have startled her. At the veer the small prints grew further apart, meaning she had started running. Setting out in a jog she looked back and forth, occasionally looking down for signs of small feet.

The trail became muddled and harder to decifer the further from the creek she went. After a while she spotted short brown hair crouched low to the ground. Quietly she crept up till she was nearly beside him. His crossbow whipped to point towards her and she glared at him. Looking around she spotted the faint outline of a roof in the distance. She jerked her head in its direction and walked forward without waiting to see if he followed her suggestion. Entering a small clearing she saw a cabin not unlike her own but worn down. With a swift kick, she opened the door and held an arrow readily notched as she checked bedrooms for any signs. From the kitchen she heard a whistle and walked towards it to see Daryl, brown haired man, holding up an empty can of sardines. Judging by the liquid still in the can it was still fresh. Looking around the kitchen she spotted a pantry door partially opened. Reaching for the handle, she looked towards the man to see him training his crossbow at the door. Yanking the door open she saw Daryl scan over the inside until he lower his crossbow and crouched to look towards the bottom. Glancing around it she saw a small blanket and pillow tucked into the bottom. Only big enough for maybe a child. Daryl shot outside and began to shout her name. "Sophia!" He shouted and looked through the clearing edge for signs of movement. "Sophia!' She looked towards the ground but she couldn't see any indication of footprints besides their own fresh ones.

The sun was beginning to set, they wouldn't have much time at all to actually look and she didn't want to be out at night. "Bet if she is around she's already holing up for the night." She said and watched as he slowly nodded. "Might as well get some dinner before we head back to camp." She didn't bother to tell him that she had already brought the meat for his dinner tonight. Instead she spent the next hour squirel hunting with the irritatingly sexy redneck. His voice is gravely and low and the sound made her want things she shouldn't. He stopped ahead of her and she looked around him. His gaze had stopped on a bush with wild roses. He bent to pick one and turned it in his fingers, breaking off thorns with his thumb. "Do you know what it is?" He asked. "A wild rose." She guessed. "A cherokee rose. There's a story that goes with em. Bout how when the soldiers were moving then cherokee, the women were crying after losing their children to exposure, disease and starvation. Some just disappeared. They cried so much and begged the elders for a sign. The next day wherever their tears fell, a cherokee rose would bloom as a sign of hope for their children." She nodded. "Sophias mom would probably really like that." She said and watched as he pulled a dirt covered beer bottle from the ground. Stopping briefly to put some water in the bottle for the flower, they then headed back to camp, more hopeful than before that the little girl would be found.

As Daryl talked to the group about the cabin find, she sat on the tail gate of her truck. Chewing on peppered beef jerky and washing it down with a cool beer. He glanced her way and she held a bottle up for him to see. "I'll take one of those." The newly balded man from yesterday said. She snatched it back before he could grab it and growled. "Fuck off dipshit. This is mine." Propping one leg over her small cooler of beer, she defended it against the mans gaze. "I don't think we've ever been introduced. I'm Shane Walsh, former sheriff deputy and one of the head honchos for this group." He said after a rather nasty glare from him had her tensing towards her knife. "I'm Payne. As in what you will be in if you don't back the fuck up, bitch boy." She pulled out her knife and fiddled with it between her fingers. "God damn, you gunna be a fucking bitch over a beer?! Guess you and that redneck are meant for each other. You gunna spread them legs of yours for a hick, might as well spread em wide like a whore for a real man." The way he stalked forward made her grip its handle tightly and lean forward. "I may be a whore. I'd fuck him all day long if he wanted. Difference is, you ain't a real man. Now fuck off before I shove my beer bottle so far up your ass it comes out your mouth." She growled. The man seemed ready to jump at her and she was more than ready to see if she could back up her claim. When a hand landed on the mans shoulder she grinned and stabbed a hunk of jerky with her knife, bringing it to her mouth and ripping away a piece with her teeth. She nodded towards Rick as he and Daryl stood behind the man. "Shane. Come on, let's go cool off." Rick said and lead the man away. He still glared back at her and she tipped her beer back to drain the bottle with a loud sigh before twisting the cap off another. "Stupid prick." She laughed out. She handed a beer towards Daryl and he stared at the bottle for a few seconds before grabbing it. Picking up her bag of jerky, she held it out in invitation, moving her leg to the side. Daryl grabbed a chunk of meat from the bag and jumped to sit on the tail gate beside her. "Not speedin outta here like yesterday?" He asked after a long swig. "Not yet. I got time before it gets that dark."


	8. Chapter 8

*Disclaimer! I own nothing but my OC!*

******Daryls POV*******  
He told rick and the group about the cabin, glancing back he watched as Payne held up a bottle for him to see. The group parted ways and he walked towards the rv. Inside he could hear Carol as she cried. Stepping inside he looked about at the cleaned and rearranged space. "Thought i'd clean up for when she comes back." Carol whispered as she pulled in a quick breath to not burst into tears infront of him. "For a sec thought I was in the wrong place." Slowly he set the bottle he'd been holding down on the table. "A flower?" Carol asked. "A cherokee rose." He said before telling her its story. "I ain't fool enough to believe theres a flower bloomin for my brother...but this one...I believe this one bloomed for your little girl." He said, watching the woman as she fiddled with the sewing in her hands. "Thankyou." Carol whispered as she stared at the small white flower. "You and that woman, both. Thankyou." He nodded and turned away heading back outside towards the offered drink.

Shane stood blocking the view of Payne, judging from her irritated expression, she was not happy with him. From the corner of his eye he saw Rick heading towards them. She pulled a knife from her belt and twirled it menacingly. "God damn, you gunna be a fucking bitch over a beer?! Guess you and that redneck are meant for each other. You gunna spread them legs of yours for a hick, might as well spread em like a whore for a real man." What the fuck? His mouth set in a scowl as Shanes voice grew louder and he heard every bit that was said. "I may be a whore. I'd fuck him all day long if he wanted. Difference is, you ain't a real man. Now fuck off before I shove my beer bottle so far up your ass it comes out your mouth." God damn that growl. Shane jumped forward slightly and Ricks hand pulled him back by the shoulder. The way she had tensed ready for a fight, he liked that. Maybe more than he should. A shit eating grin split her face as she used her knife like a fork, stabbing a piece of meat and then ripping a piece off with her teeth like an animal. "Shane. Come on, let's go cool off." Rick lead shane away with him still glaring towards her. Even with murder in his eyes, Payne tipped her bottle upside down into her mouth, exclaiming loudly after she finished and reached for another. "Stupid prick." She laughed. What she had said earlier registered in his mind and he fought to keep a blush from rising to his cheeks. Her hand extended, holding out a bottle for him to take. He stared down at it, focus, focus, breathe...and then he grabbed it. She grabbed her bag of meat and held it out towards him and moved her leg from its spot above a small red cooler. He grabbed a piece from the bag and bit off part, chewing on the peppery meat before hopping to sit on the tail gate. God it had been a while since he'd done this. Just beer and a tail gate, someone that wasn't Merle. Hoping the beer could hide his thoughts, he took a long drink."Not speedin outta here like yesterday?" He asked. "Not yet. I got time before it gets that dark." She smiled and he took another long drink. "Don't let that asshole get to ya." He said and snagged another peice from the bag. "Oh I won't. I can handle him. Seen plenty of his kind. Dealt with them just fine on my own. Besides, I seriously doubt he could satisfy." He chocked a small bit on his beer and banged his fist on his chest to get his breath back. "Like i'd ever let him try, that ugly ass mug could kill a horse." She ground out and he laughed aloud. Her lips moved in a half smile and her eyes moved over him as she took a long drink. They sat in silence, eating from the bag of jerky and drinking their beers until the cooler was empty and the bag crumpled.

"Alright. Get your heavy ass off my truck. I gotta go." She said as she glared towards the nearly dark sky. "what is it with you and the dark? Scared a tha boogie man?" He looked over at her and paused at the look of terror on her face. "Yes. Scared of all the boogie men. Especially in these woods." She said. "Ain't no such thing as a boogie man! God, you stupid or somethin?! It's bullshit. You need to man the fuck up. Only thing out there is damn walkers." He shouted and jumped down to walk to his tent, grumbling about stupid women and bullshit fears. Infront of his tent, he heard the roar of her truck start and watched as it drove away.

The night passed quickly and she was thankful that it was more peaceful. To see Daryl laugh lastnight made her heart thump uncomfortably. Even in a sweaty red plaid shirt and baggy and shredded pants, he still looked sexy enough to eat. Metaphorically. Laughing to herself, she rose up and stripped down for a quick shower. Scrubbing her hair with a simple mint based shampoo through her hair, then rinsing and lathering with conditioner and scrubbing her body with a lemon scrub. With the end of the world, body hair would probably take a back seat but she was a somewhat vain woman. So she shaved. Legs, armpits, and a bit of private landscaping. A forest she was not. Turning off the water, she toweled off and pulled on her pants from the day before with an emerald green flannel over shirt that cuffed at her elbows and ended at her hips, its tail covering her rear and a black racer back under shirt. Braiding her hair into two quick pig tails, she then pulled on her bracers and a set of boots. Walking into her kitchen, she grabbed a basket from off her counter and walked out her back door into her garden. Picking off the newly rippened vegetables, she then picked more fruit from her trees and loaded them into her truck. Her bow and arrows had been left on her passenger seat and now she slung them onto her back and shoved her hunting knife into place. With everything in place, she started her truck and drove the small distance to Hershels farm.

As she arrived Lori was slipping boots onto her feet and trudging over to a laundry line that reminded her she severely needed to do her own laundry soon. Ahead of her Maggie stood on the porch with an asian man that she had passed by once before. The way he leaned into her and that she smiled back coyly, she smirked. Maggie was playing hard to get. She waved towards her as she passed and lifted her basket to carry into Hershels home. "Hey patricia. Beth. How's it goin? Got fresh veggies and fruit, straight from the vine." She said as she plopped down on a stool with her basket on the counter. "Fruits don't grow on vines." Beth turned with a smile. "Ha. Ha." She laughed out sarcastically and stuck her tongue out. From the window she saw Daryl heading towards the stables and as she watched, she saw him come back out with a saddled horse. She knew that horse. Chestnut brown with a white stripe down her nose. Nelly. Not good at all for a ride through the woods. "I'm goin out into the woods, help look for the little girl. I'll be back." She said and hurried to follow after the man before he could get too far.

She caught up quickly and he slowed at her approach. With easing hand gestures, she placed her hands on either side on the horses face, stroking gently. "This is probably not the best choice of horse for trail riding." She said. "She'll do what needs doin. You need somethin?" He asked. She shook her head. "Nah. Figured you might need a partner. Believe the rest of your group is all partnered up. Just not you." "I do better alone." He said. "So do I. So lets do great together. Could probably use another set of eyes." She said and waited until he huffed and reached a hand down to her. Grasping it, she pulled herself up to sit behind the saddle. Her hand reached around him to hold onto his waist and he stiffened. "Just watch where you grabbin." He gruffed and she grinned.


	9. Chapter 9

*Disclaimer! I only own my OC! Nothing else. Especially not Daryl Dixon...damnit...*

Up the ridge they rode, shooting any game they found close to the trail they were already trotting up. As they neared a stream he haulted the horse and jumped down, easing down the hill side to trod through the water. She gripped the reigns and looked around her as Daryl picked up a small water logged doll that had been caught on a tree branch. "Sophia!" He called out and looked down the stream. He held the doll up for her to see before clipping it to his belt and trudging back through the water and up the hill to regain his seat on the saddle. Nudging the horse forward they rode slowly, looking back and forth. A flock of crows burst from the bushes as they approached and Nelly brayed nervously. She knew this would happen. The one thing that spooked Nelly most would be a snake and she was more than thankful that they hadn't run across one yet. Just as she thought it, she knew she had jinxed them. She heard a hiss just before Nelly began to rear back on her hind legs. She tumbled from the horse, Daryl not far after. Together they slid down the hill side and down rock slate slippery with algee and slime. She reached for the collar of Daryls shirt and pulled him closer as they slid. His crossbow slid away from them down the enbankment and she was fairly certain she heard her bow crack. She could see the water approaching rapidly. With a heave, she hauled her body partially over Daryls and braced, rolling them so she would take the brunt of the impact herself.

Her body slammed against water and rock and cried out as a sharp pain shot through her stomache. "Ah. Ugh. Son of a bitch!" Daryl said aloud as he pulled at his side in obvious discomfort. Pulling her body from under his roughly, she wheezed at the ripping sensation that passed through her. Blood poured from a hole in her shirt. Looking down, she could see a bloodied fletching sticking from Daryls side. He grabbed at his own shirt to see the damage and grunted in pain as he realized they had landed on his own bolt. Gripping his arm she helped to pull him from the water, gasping against the pain in her midsection and back. Setting him on a small shore, he tore his sleeves and tied them around his waist to stop his bleeding and to hold the bolt from moving. She removed her arms from her flannel shirt and tied the sleeves together tightly after stuffing the tail against her wound. She had pulled the fletching through her body and now there would be nothing to stop the bleeding besides her own shirt. Given the position, it was highly likely that she had punctured or torn through something vital. Her fingers reached out to prod against Daryls temple. He jerked away but she saw enough to know he had taken a hard hit and could have a concussion. He stood and looked up from where they fell. As she followed his gaze, she felt more and more that it was a cliff. It would be a difficult climb healthy and now they were both injured.

While she was looking for a safe way to climb up, Daryl grabbed a stick from the bank and tested it to hold him up as a walking stick. He looked around tensely as a rustling came from the other side of the stream. He waded back through the water, using his stick to feel at the bottom for his lost crossbow. She leaned back against a fallen tree as he searched, grunting in pain as the blood seeped from her shirt. Pressing her hand against the fabric didn't do much but the pressure made it just a bit more bearable. Already black tried to claw its way into her vision and she cursed at her body for choosing now to remind her of her anemic spells. She heard a whooshing and glanced up to see Daryl lifting his crossbow from the water. He looked towards her and she waved him on. He nodded, glancing back before carefully moving to try and climb up. His quick breaths and pained grunts made her push to stand, even when her legs wobbled beneath her. He wouldn't be alone if something happened. Of that she would make sure. She followed and leaned against a tree to watch as he made his climb. Beneath his feet the ground crumbled and slid, roots ripped up with only the slightest bit of pressure. His only real perch being small trees he used to pull himself further. It was slow going but as he reached halfway, he threw his walking stick down. Even from her view from the bottom, she could see his feet slipping in the loose dirt. Finally his foot slipped too far and a sapling gave way. Down he tumbled, rolling in the air only to bang against the ground harshly and continuing to fall. Seeing him coming closer, she spread her feet wide and jumped to catch him. She may have saved him from landing harshly on the bolt and tearing at his wound but her own protested loudly as she crashed to the ground with Daryls weight over her. As the pain throbbed, she found that she couldn't quite keep her eyes from rolling back, back until she was lost inside her own dreams.

****Daryl POV******  
He came awake slowly, only slightly shocked to see the face of his brother. "Why don't you pull that arrow out dummy. You can bind your wound better." A small smile lifted a corner of his mouth. "Merle." He called out and heard a grunt of approval. "What's goin on here? You takin a Ciesta or somethin?" "It's a shitty day Merle." He asnwered and saw a playful pout on his brothers face. "Like me ta get ya a pillow? Maybe rub your feet?" Merle was always an asshole when it came to injuries. "Screw you." Merle laughed. "You're the one screwed from the looks of it. All them years I spent tryin make a man of you, this what I get? Look atcha. Lyin in the dirt like a used rubber. You gunna die out her little brother. And for what?" "A girl. They lost a little girl." He answered, squinting up to see through blurry eyes and bright light. "So you gotta thing for little girls now?" "Shut up." "Cuz I notice you ain't out lookin for ol' Merle no more." He licked his lips. "Tried like hell to find you Merle." "Like hell you did. You split man. Let out first chance you got." "You let out. All you had to do was wait. While we went back for ya. Rick and I. We did right by you." The ground beneath his shifted slightly and he blinked against the pain. "Same Rick that cuffed me to the rooftop in the first place? Forced me to cut off my own hand? That's who we talkin bout here? You his bitch now?" Same as always, Merle. "I ain't nobodys bitch." "You're a joke is what you are. Playin errand boy to a bunch of panzy asses, niggers, democrats and this little bitch. You nothing but a freak to them. Redneck trash. It's all you are. And they're laughin atcha behind your back. You know that dont you? Got a little news for you son, one of these days, they gunna scrape you off their heels like you was dog shit." What he said took him closer and closer to falling back ino unconciousness. Why should he be awake to hear all this shit from Merle? He could go back to sleep where things didn't hurt so bad. "Hey. They ain't your kin. Your blood. Hell, you had any damn nuts in that sack of yours, you'd go back there and shoot your pal Rick in the face for me. Now you listen to me, ain't nobody gunna care bout you except me little brother. Ain't nobody ever will. Come on. Get up on your feet before I have ta kick your teeth in." Merle stood and kicked at his leg. "Lets go. Come on." Merle tried again but he was tired. Didn't Merle see that? Merle tugged at his boot over and over and as he started to wake up again, he realized it wasn't Merle. A walker kneeled, chewing on the toes of his boot. Kicking it away only did so much as it came closer.  
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She woke to pained grunting and weight lifting from her. Groggily she lifted and hissed against the pain. Nearby she could see Daryl struggling with a walker, knocking it from his and rolling it awy to reach for anything that could help. Grasping her knife, she crawled forward and after a brutal hit to its face with a branch, she plunged her knife into its skull with the weight from her fall. She fell onto her back and grit her teeth from crying out. She winced in sympathy as Daryl made a pained groan, pulling his bolt from his side and struggling to notch it to his crossbow. He managed to get it and shot just as another walker came to stand near his feet. With the threat gone, his eyes closed and he drifted into unconciousness again. She laid there in wait, catching her breath and scanning around them incase more were drawn by the noise.

She waited for signs of Daryl waking up and when they came she slowly started up the path she had deemed safest to get up the cliff side. She climbed, groaning as her wound began to bleed again and her muscels protested the strain. Glancing back, Daryl had wrapped his own wound with the remains of his shirt and cut open one of the squirels they had shot earlier. Blood dripped from his chin and fingers as he stuffed organs into his mouth and chewed. She shivered in disgust, gagging at the thought and watched as he removed a shoe lace from one of the walkers shoes, cut off their ears, and hook them onto the string in a necklace that he looped over his head. Turning back to her own struggle, she tried again to climb. If Daryl could climb atleast half way up again, she could pull him up the rest. Near the top she scrambled to pull herself up the rest of the way and then laid there to catch her breath. Below she could hear Daryl as he grunted and groaned in misery as he did his best to climb the steep cliff. Crawling over towards where he would come to, she heard him talking to himself. "Liked it better when you was missin." He grumbled. Could be thinkin of his brother...she thought. "Yeah...Since when?" He stopped to breath and look for another place he could grab on. "You never took care of me. You talk a big game but you was never there. Hell you ain't here now. Some things never change." His foot slipped and he grabbed hold of a vine dangling from a tree. "I know what I saw." He grunted. "You best shut the hell up." He called out angrily. He crawled forward determindly and when he came closer she reached out her hand. His palm slapped against hers and she gripped tightly, pressing her foot against a tree to give her purchase as she pulled him up the rest of the way. He stood quickly and looked out into the trees breathing harshly. "Yeah you better run." He called out and she slowly pulled herself up onto her feet to follow after him as he walked.


	10. Chapter 10

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part or character of the walking dead. Only my OC*

They walked for what seemed hours as she started to notice familiar land. They were creeping closer and closer to Hershels farm and that alone made her smile slightly. She held her arm across her stomach to keep pressure against her wound, limping slightly as one side of her back twinged painfully. Ahead of her, Daryl did much the same. Swaying with the weigh of his crossbow and minding his injured side. They walked through the tree line and she sighed at the sight of the Greene home. Figures blurred until they came closer, running across the field with weapons raised. "Is that Daryl? And Payne?" The asian man asked. " It's the third time you pointed that thing at my head. You gunna pull the trigger or what?" Daryl asked and she stepped closer to his side, looking over his shoulder. A boom sounded and her head rocked to the side as a burning pain went across the side of her head. Daryl landed against her stomache and she bit back the pained shout. "Nooo!" Rick shouted over and over. She grunted as Rick and Shane hurried to pull Daryl up. "I was kidding man." Daryl said as he limply allowed them to carry him. "Why do I have to share an arrow AND a bullet with you? Too much sharing." She slurred out. The asian man and the black man she had first seen a few days ago both hurried to pull her up, carrying her the same way. "Hey, China man, watch her stomach." She heard Daryls voice call out. More figures rushing forward and her vision swam. "Oh my god! Oh my god! Is he dead?!" She knew that voice. The rude and angry blonde. "He better not be dead or i'll shoot your ass myself." She grumbled out before passing into blackness.

She woke to being jostled and shivering as her shirt was lifted to bare her stomache. "Had no idea we'd be going through the anti-biotics so quickly. You have any idea what happened to my horse?" She knew that voice. She groaned as her head pounded terribly. "That one that almost killed us? If it's smart it left the country." She cracked open her eye to look towards the figure laying next to her. Daryl. Safe and holding a rag to his temple. "We call that one Nelly. As in Nervous Nelly. I coulda told you she'd throw you if you'd bother to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long." She groaned as she knew she'd be next for a talking to. With Hershels help, Daryl was shifted over on the bed and she was pulled to lay beside him against the pillows. "Gunna need to hold still while I stitch you up. Just like old times." Throwing her hand back, she gripped onto the headboard and hissed against the sting of his needle pushing through her skin. "Yep. Just like old times. Cept i've got company this time." She fisted her hand in the bed sheet. "You've got a couple fractured ribs. Looks like you took some blunt trauma, bruising near your spine. You're lucky the bolt missed your intestines and your pancreas. Even half an inch in any other direction, and you probably wouldn't have made it." Hershel said as he moved to stitch her back. She turned on her side towards Daryl. "What you did. You shouldn't have. It was stupid. I can take care of myself." He grumbled as he fidgeted with the sheet. She laughed. "So? I came along to help and thats what I did. Glad you didn't get as fucked up as bad as you coulda been." He twisted uncomfortably and squinted his eyes towards her. "You'll be fine as long as we can keep an infection out. We'll need more anti-biotics and you should probably stay here where I can keep an eye on you." She laid back and squeezed her eyes shut at the contact of her skin against the bed. "I have some at the house. I'll go get em later." She said. "I'd prefer maggie go get them, if you'l tell her where they are. You shouldn't be up and about yet." "Tell you what Hershel. I'll go get them tomorrow. A nights rest should be good enough." She shifted and groaned with a sharp intake of breath. "I'll go with her. She'll be fine." Daryl offered. "That doesn't help ease my mind. You both are injured, you shouldn't be moving at all. But it's better than nothing and I already know you would go with or without my permission." She grinned up at Hershel as he dabbed at a long graze against her scalp. "I'll check back in later. Try not to move so much." Hershel advised before leaving and closing the door behind him.

Daryl laid on his left side facing towards her while she laid flat on her back. Laying on her side was more painful than she could really bare at the moment. If anything, the pressure was a small relief. Looking down she took an appreciative glance towards his bared chest and waist. Even dirty and covered in grime, he was easy on her eyes. Behind him the door opened and in stepped a woman with short grey hair carrying a tray of food. Daryl quickly pulled up the sheet to cover his body and she flinched, allowing him to pull it up enough to cover her also. "How are you both feeling?" The woman asked. "Bout as good as we look." Daryl answered. "Brought you some dinner. You must be starvin." Daryl looked back and nodded. He flinched as the woman leaned down and quickly placed a kiss to his forehead. "Watch it, I got stitches." He said as a slow blush started to creep onto his ears and he played with the sheet nervously. "You need to know something. You did more for my little girl today than her own daddy ever did in his whole life." Daryl took quick glances before looking away again and turning. "I didn't do anything Rick or Shane wouldn't of done." He grumbled. "I know. You're every bit as good as them. Every bit. And you too. Did more than I could have. And you helped bring Daryl back too. I'll never forget it." The woman gave a small watery smile and slowly lifted, walking from the room as Daryl pulled the sheet up to his face.

It was the next day when she woke up again. An arm tossed across her hips and a stubbled face pressing against her shoulder and neck. With a groan, she stretched out her body down to her toes and curled closer to the comforting warmth that surrounded her. The arm at her hip pulled her closer and she hissed at the pain that lanced through her. Turning her head, a smile lifted the corner of her mouth. Beside her Daryl was cuddled to her. She didn't figure him for the cuddly type but she found that she didn't mind it in the least bit. Carefully she lifted his arm from her hips and held his face, gently setting it down against the pillow as she scooted off the side of the bed and sat on the floor. Leaning back against the bed, she gripped at her stomache and grimaced at the grime that coated her skin. She would be taking a bath when she got home. From the bed she heard a small groan and tilted her head to see Daryl slowly blinking open his eyes. "Mornin." She said and his eyes snapped over to hers. "I kick you off the bed or somethin?" He asked. "Nah. I just woke up myself. Was about to get up and go back home to get the meds. You still comin?" She asked. He lifted himself up and placed his feet on the floor, holding his side with one hand and running his other through his short hair. "Yea i'm comin." He answered and stood quickly which may not have been the best idea as he stumbled forward a small bit. A clean change of clothes sat at the end of the bed for him, so she slowly walked out of the room and closed the door. "I'll be waiting in my truck." She said and carefully made her way downstairs, wincing against the pulling pain. Lifting herself up into the driver seat hurt more than she cared to admit. She just sat for a moment, catching her breath before starting the engine and relishing the cool air that swept from her AC. In her center arm rest sat a few bottles of water. Taking one, she chugged it down and leaned back against her seat. As Daryl walked from the front door, he looked like he had taken the time to wipe off with a wet rag. She laughed. Now she was the dirtier one. He came round to her passenger side and climbed in, looking through at her truck in appreciation. "Nice ride. You steal it?" He asked. "Nah. Bought it. Was a real piece of shit when I got it though. Front end had been totalled in a wreck and the motor was shot but I fixed her up just fine." She said and backed out before putting it into drive. The ride was smooth and quiet as she focused on avoiding the potholes that would jostle them and Daryl looked out the window.

All too soon they arrived at her front gate. She carefully slid from the drivers seat to unlock it and Daryl guided the truck up to her home before shutting the engine off. She locked the gate back and walked towards her front door. Growling made her glance towards her living room window. Inside, Demon was baring his teeth towards Daryl through the window. She unlocked the door and grunted as the massive fluff of doom barrelled into her. "Down bubby. He's a friend." She cooed until the dogs tongue lolled happily and he dashed outside. Daryl closed the door behind him and looked around him. "Nice place." He said. She grunted and lifted herself from the floor. "You can have somethin to eat or sit for a bit. I need new clothes and a shower first." She said. "There's tea in the fridge, and beer if that's what you're in the mood for. Should still have some gumbo left over if you wanna heat it up." She left to her bedroom to grab a fresh set of clothes and then entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her.


	11. Chapter 11

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part or character of the walking dead. Just my OC*

*********Daryl POV*********

He watched as she walked into a far room and a moment later walked across the small hallway and locked a door after her. The place didn't scream woman, which he liked. Simple furnishing in wood and leather. If he's ever had thoughts of having a nice home, it would've been something like this. In the kitchen where she had pointed, he found an open kitchen with a center island loaded down with fruit and vegetables. Grabbing a peach from the pile, he bit into the fruit and looked through cabinets. Spotting tall glass cups, he pulled one down and opened the fridge. Feeling cold air waft over him was like going back in time. He never would've thought he's miss the small things so much. Sure enough, on the middle shelf sat a full jug of tea sitting beside a full dozen bottles of beer. Grabbing the jug, he poured a glass and sipped at it, noting just how sweet it was. But then again, he's gone weeks without anything sweet. The sound of rushing water hit his ears and the smell of mint washed through the house. In a clear tubberware bowl, he spotted the Gumbo she had mentioned and popped it into the microwave in the corner with its top off. As it heated, he walked through the living room, his eyes scanning over the packed book shelves. Not a single photo adorned the space. Didn't women love hanging pictures of people? The microwave pinged and he strode back, pushing the button for it to open. Using the sides of his hands, he removed the tubberware and sat it down on the counter, pulling out drawers till he came to one with silverware. Not plastic, no. Actual silverware. Grabbing a spoon, he shoved a large amount into his mouth and looked over her counter tops. Beside the white stove were mason jars filled with a clear liquid and packed full of peppers. Unscrewing the lid, he sniffed at it and instantly recoiled at the strong and spicy scent. Dipping his finger into the liquid, he then stuck his finger into his mouth and sucked in a breath through his teeth. A punch to the throat of vinegar flooded with the spicy heat from the peppers. Pouring some out into the tubberware bowl, he mixed it in with the gumbo and sat down with his meal. The smell of mint in the air was slowly mixing with the scent of lemon. After he finished eating the gumbo, he put the bowl in the sink and wandered down the hallway, looking into the few rooms. One he assumed was her bedroom. A wide bed piled with pillows and a dark brown blanket still rumpled in a heap. No pictures still. Only thing held up on her wall was a new paper tacked up. 'Missing girl found. 7 dead in what could be the worst massacre of the decade. Father found beaten to death in his home. Girl rushed to hospital with extensive wounds and stabilized in intensive care. Traps still set in woods.' Black and white pictures of a gruesome scene in the woods. A picture of a girl covered in a dark substance as she was loaded into an ambulance. Looked to be in her early teens. He scanned over the article pausing at a name. Ellie Payne Anderson, 14. That had been her. A girl tormented near death by a group of men. They had caged her up and hunted her through the woods at night like an animal. Had beaten her, shot her, stabbed her, whipped her, burned her, starved her, and then...she had killed each and every one of them. Torn them apart like the devil came to life himself. He was angry. What kind of sick sons of bitches could do that to a kid? He backed away quietly and returned to the kitchen where he sipped at his glass of tea and waited.

In the hallway a door opened and he could hear her rummaging around. She came into the kitchen holding a backpack, stuffing things inside it as she passed by. She opened a cabinet in the far corner and watched as she tossed bottles and gauze packs inside. "Should be everything Hershel would need. You want anything?" She asked. He looked over her. Now that he was looking, he could see the marks around her wrists that weren't covered by her bracers. Lines across her throat that looked a little twisted and unnatural. Long white scars stretching around her elbows, partially covered by her tattoos and her red shirt sleeves. "Nah. You good?" He asked and she nodded. Turning, she grabbed a black box he hadn't noticed and she grunted against its weight. "What the hell?! I'll get it." He said and shoved her to the side, picking up the box with relative ease. It weighed maybe 30 lbs but it made him groan as it pulled at his side. She glared towards him and picked up another box, hefting it onto her shoulder easily. "What kinda movies you like?" She asked. He paused and looked at her like she was crazy. "You plannin on goin to the movies any time soon?" He asked gruffly. "Yep." She popped her lips out as she answered and walked outside, depositing the box in the bed of her truck. "Whole shelf full in the house. Go pick some." She said. He huffed and went inside to her living room, looking over the rows of movies until he pulled a few he hadn't seen in years.  
********************

She waited in the truck as he walked back out. She eyed the cover of the top movie. Seemed appropriate for him. Predator. The others she couldn't see but it didn't matter. The boxes she had put into her truck were a small portable tv and dvd combo and a car battery that she had fully charged with her solar panels. If Daryl was going to be cooped up with his injury, she could afford to make him just a little more comfortable. They loaded back into her truck and again Daryl eased her truck through the gate while she closed it. Before he could get out, she climbed into the passenger seat and leaned back. "You drive." She said and he smirked as he leaned back in her seat. He looked good with his elbow propped against the door. His thumb tip tucked into the corner of his mouth as he chewed on the nail. His right arm stretched straight out and the muscles taunt. Set in her black leather seat with a dark wooden steering wheel in his hand. She liked it alot.

The drive didn't take long and they were pulling up infront of Hershels home. "Thanks. I got the rest." She said and pulled her backpack with her into Hershels home, stopping at the door to see him walk into a tent. Walking inside, she handed her bag over. "There's anti-biotics, pain killers, anti-inflammatories, gauze, medical tape, and rubbing alchohol." She said. "This will come in handy. Thankyou. Now don't over exert yourself. You need to rest." Hershel said and she smiled before walking back out to her truck. Picking up the two boxes with a hiss, she brought them to Daryls tent and paused as the angry blonde exited. "Hey. Next time you shoot me, you better pray i'm dead." She smirked at the easy tone in his voice and watched the woman walk away before entering. "What you doin here? You shouldn't be carryin those. Didn't Hershel say to rest?" He asked. She looked down to see him laying on a cot, an arrow near his leg and obvious holes in the see through window of his tent. A book lay on the stomache of his partially opened shirt. She scoffed at him and set down the boxes. "Like i'd wanna lay in bed all day with nothing to do but stare at a ceiling. You picked the movies. Now you get to watch em." She said.


	12. Chapter 12

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part or character of the walking dead. Just my OC.*

She set down the boxes she carried and opened them. The tv combo was an older model flat screen she had pillaged from the dump. Some idiot didn't know how to unjam a dvd and replace a bulb. So she got a free tv. The other box held a battery pack fully charged with all the wires and ends already rigged to a surge protector that she could use for the tv. "You rig that yourself? You sure it's gunna work?" He asked. She scoffed. "Ofcourse it'll work. The TV could run nonstop for two days before the battery is tapped out. You just decide which one you wanna watch first. Also, i'll be right back." she said and after hooking the tv up and turning it on, she walked into Hershels home. "Beth." She called and from the kitchen came a reply of "In here." "Can I borrow your back pillow? And can I have popcorn? I know you have a stash in the back of the pantry." She laughed as the blonde appeared, sticking her head sideways from the kitchen doorway with a finger over her mouth. "Shut up! If Maggie finds out, she'll eat it all! You can have one pack but never ask out loud again. Go ahead and get the pillow. Want me to pop it?" She nodded towards Beth and smiled widely. "Thankyou." She said and walked up the stairs to find the large black over stuffed back supporting study pillow. Tucking it under her arm, she walked back down stairs and stood leaning on the counter as she watched Beth looking out the windows every few seconds as she popped the popcorn. "Here. Don't let Maggie see it." Beth said after handing her a large white bowl filled with popcorn. "No butter spray?" She asked jokingly. Beth rolled her eyes and reached into the back of the spice cabinet where a small yellow spray bottle sat. She spritzed the popcorn and replaced it. "Thankyou." She said and walked back towards Daryls tent. Only stopping once to retrieve two water bottles from her truck.

In Daryls tent she saw the opening screen Earnest goes to camp and she laughed. "Seriously?" She laughed. "What? You said I could pick and I did. You can get the fuck outta my tent if you don't like my pick." Daryl said with a scowl. He huffed and looked back out his tent window. She sniggered and propped the pillow under her arm against the legs of his cot, setting the bowl beside her and toeing off her boots to press the play button with the tip of her toe. In the corner of her eye she saw him shift to his side, folding his arm under his pillow for better support. "Popcorn?" She asked, holding the bowl up closer for him. He hesitated briefly. Staring towards the popped kernels before sitting up and tossing his pillow down against a cot leg. He sat, leaning back with a leg bent, propping his arm on his knee. With his free hand he reached into the bowl, grabbing a handful and bringing it to his chest where he used his propped arm to toss pieces into his mouth. "When I think end of the world, I don't really think of movies and popcorn when I get hurt." He said. "Sorry. Should I go make soup and give you a dozen blankets?" She grinned. "Soup is for when someone is sick dumbass." "My bad. I could kiss it, make it better." She offered, turning to lean on her side, putting her face closer to his. "I ain't no damn kid! Does anyone say that kinda stuff to you?!" She quirked her eyebrow. "Well no, but if you're offering i'll take it." She said with a smile and laughed lightly before settling back against her pillow again. He scoffed and turned his head, a slight blush reddening his cheeks. Still smiling she placed a bottle of water beside his leg and turned her attention to the movie infront of them.

They spent hours that way, watching movies and catching a nap. By the time dinner came around, the woman with short grey hair entered the tent carrying two plates of cooked deer meat and rice. "I brought dinner." The woman said and she took both plates, handing one to Daryl as he sat further up on his pillow. "Thankyou." She said. The woman fidgeted with the hem of her shirt and glanced back outside before staring down at her. "We haven't been introduced. I'm Carol. I wanted to thankyou for helping to look for my little girl, and for helping Daryl. It means alot." The womans eyes began to water and she watched as they woman blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. "I'm Payne. You don't have to thank me for that. Who in their right mind could just leave a little girl to be lost in the woods? I got a bit of a soft spot for kids anyway. I'm sure i've got some good cartoon movies at home, when we find her think she'd like to watch them?" The woman smiled and the water in her eyes came closer to spilling. "She's love that." She smiled towards the woman. "And you don't have to thank me for helping Daryl either. I was just trying to save my own ass. He did all the dirty work I swear." Carol gave a small smile. "All the same. I'm grateful for both of you. Hope you like dinner." Carol said before turning and walking out of the tent.

They ate quietly even as Daryl sucked the juices off his fingers from eating the meat with his hand. Clearing her own plate quickly, she took his empty one and stood, taking their plates over to carol as she washed a few dishes in a bin. "Dinner was good. Thankyou." She said and turned to go back to Daryls tent. She snagged the empty white bowl from beside the open doorway and the pillow she had borrowed. "You leavin?" Daryl asked looking up at her. "Well you don't quite give me that 'sleep over' vibe so yea. Leavin the TV with you if you wanna watch em again. I'll be back tomorrow." She said and turned, taking the bowl into the kitchen and washing it out, and returning the pillow to Beths room. Through all the movements, she held an arm across her upper stomach. Trying hard not to let out the cry of pain as she jumped into her truck.

When she arrived home Demon was laying on the porch with his tail wagging happily, tongue lolling out. "Hey bubby. Did you have a good day?" She asked as she scratched at his fur around his ears. In response he licked at her face. with a giggle she stood, opening the front door wide enough for them both to enter and then closing it behind them, locking it for the night. Demon headed straight for his bed in the far corner, picking up a tattered teddy bear in his mouth and then turning in circles before finally laying down. He always made her smile. He was her baby. Her BIG baby. When she was younger, she had been shot and the bullet had ripped through her womb, taking one of her ovaries on its way out. The doctors then had told her she probably wouldn't be able to have children. Even if she did get pregnant, which wasn't likely at all, she wouldn't be able to carry it. Being younger then, she hadn't cared. But as she got older, the thought weighed heavy on her. Demon would probably be the only child she would ever have. And he would be enough. She smiled slightly and walked towards her bedroom, falling onto it in a heap and staring at the wall.


	13. Chapter 13

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part of the walking dead. Just my OC.*

She blinked. It seemed like a fraction of a second but as she opened her eyes, she saw the time on her clock reading AM. She groaned at the aching pain radiating from her back and stomach as she rolled off of her bed, landing on her hands and knees. Probably not the smartest move she'd ever made. "Mother fucker on a god damn poggo stick." She growled as she tiredly rubbed at her face. She felt like she hadn't slept at all but as she looked out the slot in her boarded window, she saw the sun beginning to rise, much to her dismay. A quick shower would help rinse away the dredges of sleep hopefully. Within 15 minutes she had washed her hair and body, struggling to pull a brush through her tangled mess that resembled hair. Not for the first time did she consider chopping it off but then came the annoyance of missing her hair. Of the inability to do jack shit with it being in her face. If push came to shove she would wait till her hair could possibly get her killed and then chop it off with a clear conscious. After all she'd rather live with a horrible haircut than die because of her hair. But, again, she was somewhat vain. Her hair was one of her good features. After it was brushed, she moved to the kitchen to make a small breakfast of instant pancakes. Turning on the burner for her old stove took the help of a box of wooden matches set in the cabinet above it. When the fire was going she put her skillet on and poured a small amount of oil. She added water into a jug with dried ingredients already mixed. After vigorous shakes she poured the mixture into the pan in dollops and waited somewhat impatiently for them to bubble up before flipping them. Shoving the jug O' Pancake into her fridge, she deposited the fluffy delights onto a plate and proceeded to drown them in blueberry syrup.

She paused looking down at her bow. Near the grip was a long crack that probably would snap open the instant she tried to draw it back. It had been one of her newer bows but she still loved it all the same. With a sigh, she gripped both ends and slammed the bow over her knee. It splintered and burst apart, sending shards to the ground. Thankfully she kept her old bows but they weren't the same. Going to her gun cabinet, she reached towards the top and pulled down a dusty black compound bow. It was more powerful but she prefered the recurved bow for its fluidity. With a cleaning rag, she wiped it down and then went over the strings to make sure it would work well enough. Strapping her hunting knife to her belt, she then tossed the upper half of her hair into a ponytail and tugged on her boots. Looking down towards herself, she figured she might as well put on a regular t-shirt since the weather would be cooling down soon. Pulling one from her dryer, she glanced over it before pulling it over her head. Snug against her body with a V neck and tail trailing lower over her hips. Putting her bracers into place was last before she shoved a bag of jerky and a bag of gummy life savers into her pack and headed towards her truck. Demon would be fine on his own. An entire pond to drink from, and automatic feeder at her back door and an electronic doggie door with his collar as the key. She was lazy, she didn't particularly like having to open and close the door every single time he wanted in or out. She also didn't like the thought of having a regular doggie door that someone could just crawl through at their own convenience. Starting her truck, she smiled at the thought of seeing Daryl again and tossed two tylenol into the back of her mouth. She wouldn't push herself on him, no. If he rejected her then she'd be fine with that...But he hadn't. Not yet anyway. She pulled a bottle of water from her center console and gulped down a mouth full to wash down the pills.

When she arrived she saw the group of people standing infront of Hershels barn. Including an injured Daryl. Narrowing her eyes, she stalked forward. If he was out at the barn while he was hurt, it had to be important. "Caro-...I think it's time we all start to think. Just consider the other possibility." Shane, that asswipe of a man looked down towards carol. "Shane, we're not leaving Sophia behind." Rick said. She stopped walking just past the fence and frowned. No way in hell was she leaving a small girl in the woods. "We're close to finding this girl. We just found her damn doll a few days ago." Shane seemed to laugh. "You, Ya'll found her doll Daryl. Thats what you did. You found a DOLL." She stalked closer, gripping her fists tightly. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Daryl shouted. "I'm just sayin what needs to be said here. You get a good lead it's the first 48 hours." "Shane stop." Rick tried over and over to get the man to calm. "Let me tell you something else man, if she was alive out there, saw you comin, all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, and some strange woman lookin like a damn pin cushion, she would run in the other direction man!" Shane shouted. She was livid. Daryl stalked forward fully intent on smashing his fist into Shanes face and if he couldn't, she damn well would. The group burst into motion to prevent the fight. Daryl shouting, Rick and the asian man between them with Lori shouting beside him. "I'll beat your ass boy! Don't you come at me! I'll beat your ass!" Shane yelled. As the group gravitated more towards keeping Daryl away from Shane, she moved forward. "Keep your hands off me." He pointed into Loris face and turned to walk away. As he turned she reared back and slammed her fist into his jaw. His head whipped to the side and before he could fully recover, she slammed it again into his eye. He backed away a few steps and moved to rush at her when arms wrapped around her waist and hauled her back, the group against going to keep Shane away. "Put me down!" She screeched. In anger and pain as the arms gripped over her wound. Shane glared at her with hate filled eyes as he went to walk away and she glared back seething. "Just let me talk to hershel. Let me figure it out." Rick said. "Man what're you gunna figure out?!" Shane yelled, his veins rising in his aggitation. "If we're gunna stay, if we're gunna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land!" Rick reasoned. "Hershel sees those things in there as people. Sick people. His wife, his...his step son." And older man stepped forward to talk with rick. "You knew?" Rick asked. "Yesterday. I talked to hershel." The man said. "And you waited the night." Shane growled out. "I thought we could survive one more night and we did. I was waiting till this morning to say something but glen wanted to be the one." "The man is crazy Rick. If hershel thinks those things are-" "Alright enough!" Rick shouted, cutting shane off from his tyraid. The doors to the barn began to swing and groan as walkers pushed against them.

The person holding her did not let her go until they were at Daryls tent. "Calm down." The gruff voice by her ear let her know just who it was. They stepped inside and he dropped her onto his cot. She turned to fully face him, seeing the frown on his face as he glanced towards her hands. She clenched her fists and looked down to see her knuckles slightly split. Blood rolling down her knuckles and dripping from her finger tips. Daryl leaned down and rummaged through a duffel bag stuffed under the cot until he withdrew a black bandana. He reached for her hand and held it gently, wiping away the small trails of blood and turning her palm to make sure he had gotten it all. "He had no right saying what he did." She said. Daryl sucked at his teeth as he stared at her hand. "Probably right though. Not about her being dead but she probably woulda run." She looked over his face and felt like someone had kicked a puppy. Something soft getting hurt because of a bad person. While Daryl was strong and tough on the outside, she thought he had a soft spot too. He wanted to feel wanted. Needed. That he belonged somewhere. "Hey, we'll find her." She said and he looked up. He nodded and let go of her hand. "Should probably let hershel take a look at your hand." He said and turned, walking out of his tent. She watched him walk away before taking his advice.

Her ribs hurt, her stomach and back hurt, her hand hurt. Those were the answer to Hershels questions as he checked over her wounds. He redressed her stomach and back, frowning towards the dark bruise forming over her lower ribs. Her hand he lightly wrapped. "Didn't I say to rest? Not to over exert yourself?" He asked with a sigh. "I couldn't help myself." She said and smiled up at him. "Don't you smile at me. If you don't rest you'll never heal properly. You should know that by now." He said and turned to wash his hands before sitting at his kitchen table for his lunch. She walked outside and held the door open as Rick came closer. He nodded towards her as he passed. Jumping into her truck, she grabbed the bag of gummies from her pack and ripped the bag open. Starting her truck, she leaned back in the AC and absent mindedly munched on the chewy sweets as her thoughts drifted.

******Daryl POV******

"We're close to finding this girl. We just found her damn doll a few days ago." He said. "You, yall found her doll, Daryl. You found a DOLL." The way shane was saying it really pissed him off. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" He shouted. No way was he gunna believe that Sophia is dead. "I'm just sayin what needs to be said here. You get a good lead it's in the first 48 hours." "Shane stop." "Let me tell you somethin else man, if she was alive out there, saw you comin, all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, and some strange woman lookin like a damn pin cushion, she would run in the other direction man!" Shane shouted. He maybe woulda took it if it had been just him, but the jackass had to bring Payne into it too. To say that shit about the both of them... He stomped forward, ready to break as much of the mans face as he could reach. Rick was infront of him, pushing against his chest as Andrea and glen pulled against his shoulders. He shouted over them. "I'll beat your ass boy! Don't you come at me! I'll beat your ass!" Shane shouted over and over. Lori pushed Shane back. "Keep your hands off me." He watched Shane go to walk away and thats when he saw her. Raging hell set on her face as she reared back and plowed her fist into Shanes jaw. He smirked, the jackass deserved it. They all began moving closer as Shane lifted. His smirk grew wider as her fist came down on Shanes eye. Swore he saw the other one near bulge out the mans skull. He pushed Andrea to the side and moved quickly to grab Payne as Shane lifted ready for a scuffle. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her away, turning so Shane wouldn't get the chance to hit her. "Put me down!" She screeched loudly as she kicked her feet in the air and struggled to move her arms. He saw Shane glare towards her as he started to walk away and he spit towards him. He could feel her breathing harshly against his chest. Each breath in and out as her chest pushed against his arms, and her back pressed more firmly against him. Think about something else, fighting Shane, no that wouldn't work. He'd think about her hitting Shane earlier. Something else, Merle maybe...no She hit Merle too...shit...Sophia? No she was helping him look for her. Damnit! How many bolts does he have? Yea that would work. Think of bolts, he'd have to make some more soon. He walked away, wincing at his side even as the others kept talking. He let her down only slightly, allowing her toes to touch the ground and hold her weight a bit.

She still struggled against him and he held tight to make sure she couldn't get loose yet. He moved her slightly to the side so her ass would quit rubbing against him every time he took a step. "Calm down." He said when they were infront of his tent and she stopped struggling. Stepping into his tent, he dropped her onto his cot and watched as she turned to face him. His eyes looking down at her hand and he frowned. Her knuckles had split open a bit. She clenched her fist and the small cuts spread a bit wider, blood slowly rolling down and landing on his cot. Squatting down, he reached under his cot to rummage through his bag until he found an old bandana. It was a bit dirty but it would have to do. He reached for her hand and held it gently as he softly wiped away the blood from her knuckles, turning her hand over wipe away the smudges near her palm. "He had no right to say what he did." She said. He sucked at his teeth as he looked over the small scarred lines going across her hand. Twisted and puckered like they had been reopened over and over again and never healed properly. "Probably right though. Not about her being dead but she probably woulda run." He could feel her eyes on him as he continued to stare at her hand, getting a better look at the scarred skin circling her delicate wrist. "Hey, we'll find her." She said and he looked up, nodding at the determined look in her eyes. She whole heartedly believed they would. He wanted to be the one to find her. To prove they were right. He let go of her hand and stood. "Should probably let Hershel take a look at your hand." He said and then turned and walked out of his tent. He headed towards the stables, ready to try again. To look for Sophia.  
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	14. Chapter 14

*Disclaimer! I own no part of the walking dead. Just my OC.*

After a while she opened her door and looked around, spotting Maggie and the asian man talking. She sputtered her lips as they started kissing. She didn't really want to see that if she couldn't do the same to a certain redneck. Which, she didn't currently see him nearby. Tired of sitting in her truck alone, she shut it off and closed the door, walking to sit on the front porch where people tended to gather. Wasn't long before Maggie and the man moved to sit beside her on the steps. "Hi. I'm Glen." The man said as he held out his hand. "We all know your name but you don't know many of us. I could help." He said. She shook his hand. "The black man?" She asked. "That's T-Dog." "Old man?" "Dale." "You three were the only ones I didn't know. Thanks." She said and started to play with her bladed bracer. Flicking her wrist down to make it slide out quickly and then putting it back into place. If nothing else was happening today then she was gunna go home and do nothing in her own bed. A nap would be nice.

"You look like you should be in line for a Early Bird Special. Go get your cap, I'l wash it for you ok?" Maggie said and she laughed quietly. Andrea and T-dog came stridding up. "Do you know what's going on?" T-dog asked. "Where is everyone?" Angry blonde. "You haven't seen Rick?" Glen asked as he stood. "Went off with Hershel. We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago." Said angry blonde. She refused to call the rude little bitch by name. "Yea you were. The hell?" Ah her favorite redneck. "Told us he was going out." Said carol. "Damnit, is anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail." Daryl said as he flung his arm wide to indicate the path they should be looking. "Ah. Here we go." She looked past him and frowned. Shane was stomping forward with a bag of guns over his shoulder and a shotgun in his hand. "What's all this?" Daryl asked. "You with me man?" Shane asked as he kept walking, handing Daryl the gun. She heard the whispered "Yea." and her frown became a heated scowl. "Time to grow up. You already got yours?" "Yea. Where's Dale?" Angry blonde answered. "He's on his way." She didn't like the way he had said that. "Thought we couldn't carry." T-dog said. "Yea well we can and we have to. Look it was one thing standin around here pickin daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. Now we know it ain't. How bout you man? You gon protect yours?" Shane asked glen, holding out another shotgun. Glen glanced back and forth from Shane to Maggie and she stood. If Maggie needed her, she's be ready. Glen snatched the gun. "That's it. Can you shoot?" Shane asked towards Maggie. "Can you stop? You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight." She nodded. "We have to stay Shane." A boy she knew to be Carl. "What is this?" Lori asked as she came around from the side of the house. "We ain't goin anywhere, ok. Now look, Hershel, he's just gunna understand, ok. He, well he's gunna have to. I mean we need to find Sophia, am I right?" He kneeled down infront of the boy and she tensed. "Now you take this, you take it Carl, you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes, you know how. Go on and take the gun and do it." She hurried to pull the boy back as Lori stood infront of him. "Rick said no guns. This is not your call. This is not your decision to make." Lori near sneered at Shanes face and she had a new respect for the woman. "Oh shit." T-dog exclaimed. She glanced over to where he was looking and froze. She didn't want to be here anymore. The shit that was about to happen. This could break people. As the group began to run down towards the barn, she ran to her truck and grabbed her bow. Even if she ached, even if she reopened her wounds, she couldn't let something so terrible happen. Going to the fence line, she stopped and took aim towards Shane head. If that's what it came to, she would do it. No regrets. She winced as Shane shot 3 rounds into a walkers chest. The look on Hershels face said that he couldn't believe it and her heart wanted to break right there. She knew what they were but Hershel had hoped differently and now that was blowing up in the mans face. "That's 3 round to the chest. Someone who's alive, could they just take that? Why is he still comin?" Shane shouted and raised his gun. He fired 2 more. "That's its' heart, its' lungs. Why's he still comin?!" He fired 2 more. "Shane enough!" Rick shouted. "Yea you right man. That is enough." Shane stalked forward and quickly put his pistol to the walkers head and pulled the trigger. Hershel stood gaping and with tears in his eyes as the body fell and the stick he had used to hold it was pulled from his hands. "Enough riskin our lives for a little girl who's gone. Enough! Living next to a barn full of things that are tryin to kill us! Enough! Rick it ain't like it was before. Now if yall wanna live, if you wanna survive! You gotta fight for it! I'm talkin bout fight! Right here! Right now!" Shane shouted. Spit flew from his lips as he shouted and she knew she'd be more than happy to plant an arrow between those teeth of his and half way down his throat. It would shut him up atleast. He turned and ran towards the barn, picking up a pickaxe from beside the doors and using it to butt against the lock until it loosened and then pried the lock away. Rick was screaming for Hershel and Glen was yelling for Shane to stop. The first few walkers came through the door and she walked forward to stand infront of Hershel and Maggie, her bow still trained firmly on Shane. She wouldn't let him hurt them.

The shots started and she held still. Doing her best to block to massacre from Hershels eyes. She blinked rapidly as she saw Daryls shotgun shoot down Hershels wife. She had been a sweet woman and didn't deserve the cruelty she had been given. She saw Shaun go down with a headshot and grit her teeth in anger. Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered the boy that had chased after her with puppy eyes in the fields. She knew he always had a crush on her. The shooting stopped and she knelt by Hershel as he struggled to pull in air. He looked back and forth in a daze, skin going pale and eyes glassy. "Hershel, we need to get to the house." She whispered. As she waited for his reply, she heard small growls coming from the barn. Looking over, she dropped her aim and felt bile rise in her throat. Small shoes followed by dirty khaki cargo pants and a blue shirt with a rainbow on it. Dirty blonde hair framed the greyed skin of a small girl with a bite wound on her shoulder. "Sophia, Sophia. Sophia!" Carol went to run for the girl but Daryl caught her, slowly bringing her to the ground as the woman cried in misery. Tears spilled and she pressed her hand over her mouth to keep back the sob that threatened to escape. The little girl they had been looking for was here in the barn the entire time. She looked away as Rick walked forward and aimed his gun. The shot made her jump. "Don't look. Don't look." She heard Daryls voice but couldn't find the strength to look towards them. Behind her she heard Beths sobs. When they went past her, she peaked over towards where Beth was headed and looked down as Beth went towards her mother. "Ma." Beth cried. The growls came quickly and her head snapped over, aiming her bow as carefully as she could as the group and Hershel moved to remove Beth from the walkers grip. Once Hershel pushed Beth back, she shot her arrow, finding her mark in the walkers eye and slowly let her bow fall back. Atleast it was a more peaceful ending than the group would've given her. Hershel and Patricia were on either side of Beth as they walked her back to the house, she followed behind, holding her bow up with an arrow notched loosely as she walked backward, her eyes set on the angry Shane that followed. "We've been out. Combing these woods lookin for her and she was in there all along. You knew." Shane said. He glared at her. "Leave us alone." Maggie said. "Shane stop man." Glen tried. "Get off me." Shane brushed him off and crept closer. "You knew and you kept it from us. And you made us seem like fools, playin along." Shane sneered. "I didn't know." Both she and Hershel said. "That's bullshit. I think you all knew." She growled at the way he said it. "We didn't know." Maggie said. "Why was she there?" Shane asked. "Otis put those people in the barn. Maybe he found her and put her in there before he was killed." Hershel tried to say but she moved to push him back into the safety of the house. "Maybe? You expect me to believe that? What do I look like? I look like an idiot?" "Yes." She growled towards the mans face. Rick tried to keep Shane back. "I don't care what you believe." Hershel said loudly. "Everybody just calm down." Rick said as he kept anyone from going closer. "Get him off my land." Hershel shouted. "Let me tell you somethin man." Shane said as he stepped forward. She was ready to let go of her arrow into the mans throat when Maggie stepped up and slapped him across the face. "Don't touch him!" She shouted. "Haven't you done enough?" Maggie said and turned, walking into the house with Hershel close behind. "I mean it. Off my land." Hershel said before stepping inside. She followed slowly, keeping her eye towards the group until the door was firmly shut.

As it came time for the service, she stood at Hershels side, her hand on his shoulder and the other holding Patricia to her side. As Hershel moved to leave, she followed. Even as he moved towards the vehicles. "Get in mine. I'll drive you." She said and he veered. Climbing into her passenger seat. Getting in, she started the truck and drove down the driveway. "Where to?" She asked. "Hatlins." He whispered and she nodded. Hell after today, she could use a few stiff drinks herself. She drove into town slowly, weaving around the vehicles and parking before shutting off the engine and getting out. She waited for Hershel to come around the front end and together they walked into the bar. Hershel sat at the counter and wiped off a glass, pouring himself a drink. After everything thats happened, she couldn't fault him for it. Reaching over the counter, she grabbed the closest bottle and twisted off the top, bringing it to her lips and taking a long drink.

They sat drinking for a long while and once she felt the fuzzy feeling settling over her she stopped. She wasn't stupid enough to get dead on her ass drunk when walkers could still be near. She stood to go to the bathroom, her bladder feeling uncomfortably full. As she came back she saw Rick and Glen entering through the front door. "Hershel. Payne." Rick said. She nodded towards him and went behind the bar infront of Hershel. "Who's with ya?" Hershel asked. "Glen." "Maggie sent him?" Hershel asked, looking up at her. "He volunteered. He's good like that." Rick answered as he walked forward. "How many have you had?" "Not enough." Hershel answered, looking down at his nearly empty glass. 'There's a situation back at home. Beth collapsed. Is in some sorta state. Must be shock. Think you are too." She glanced at Rick. "Maggie's with her?" "Yea. but Beth needs you." "What could I do? She needs her mother. Or rather to mourn. Like she shoulda done weeks ago. I robbed her of that. I see that now." Hershel said, taking a drink from his glass and looking towards her again. "You thought there was a cure. Can't blame yourself for holding out for hope." Rick said. "Hope. When Ellie showed up on my front porch after being gone so long, I had hope. When I first saw you running across my fields with the boy in your arms, I had little hope he'd survive." "But he did." "He did. Even though we lost Otis, your man Shane made it back. And we saved your boy. That was the miracle that proved to me miracles do exist. Only it was a sham. A bait and switch. I was a fool. And you people saw that. My daughters deserve better than that." Hershel drained the glass and then pulled the cork from his bottle, pouring more into it. Rick walked away shaking his head. "So what do we do? Just wait for him to pass out?" Glen asked. "Just go. Just go!" Hershel shouted. "I promised Maggie i'd bring you home safe." Rick said. "Just like you promised that little girl?" She froze and placed bother her hands against the bar, glaring at Hershel. It was a low blow and he knew it. "So what's your plan? Finish that bottle? Drink yourself to death, leave your girls alone?" Rick asked as he stalked back towards Hershel. "Stop telling me how to care for my family. My farm. You people are like a plague! I do the christian thing, give you shelter. And you destroy it all!" Hershel stood and shouted. "The world was already in a bad state when we got here." "And you take no responsibility. You're supposed to be their leader!" "Well i'm here now. Alright?!" Rick shouted. "Yes. Yes. Yes you are." Hershel sat back on his stool, gripping his glass tightly. "Your girls need you now more than ever." "I didn't want to believe you. You told me there was no cure. That these people were dead not sick, and I chose not to believe it. But when Shane shot Lew in the chest, and she just kept comin, that's when I knew what an ass i'd been. That Annette had been dead long ago and I had been feeding her rotten corpse. That's when I knew there was no hope. And when that little girl came out of the barn, the look on your face. I knew you knew it too. Right? There is no hope. And you know it now. Like I do. Don't you? There is no hope for any of us." She looked down, reaching for Hershels hand and squeezing. "Look i'm done. I'm not doin this anymore. Cleanin up after you. You know what the truth is? Nothing has changed. Death is death. it's always been there. Wether its from heart attack or cancer or walker what's the difference? You didn't think this hopeless before did you? And now there are people back home trying to hang on and they need us. Even if it's just to give them a reason to go on. Even if we don't believe it ourselves. You know what? This, this isn't about what we believe anymore. It's about them." Rick said. Hershel shifted for a moment before slamming the rest of his drink back and setting down the glass loudly. He began to turn when she heard the door creaking open. She grabbed her bow and held an arrow to it loosely, lifting it quickly. There in the doorway she spotted two men. "Son of a bitch. They're alive." One of them said. She frowned. This would not be good.


	15. Chapter 15

*Disclaimer! I do not own the walking dead characters or plot or storyline. If I did, I wouldn't be broke right now...damnit...I only own my OC.*

One sat at a table and the other took a seat at the bar near Hershel and herself. "I'm Dave. Scrawny looking douchebag there's Tony." The skinny one said. "Eat me Dave." The fat one said. "Hey maybe some day I will. We met on I-95 comin outta phily. Real shit show that was." She didn't like these men. "I'm Glen. It's nice to meet some new people." Glen said and she threw a cork at him. "Rick Grimes." She scowled. "How bout you pal? Have one?" Dave asked. "I just quit." Hershel answered. "Got a unique sense of timing my friend." Dave said. "His name's Hershel. He lost people today. Alot of em." Rick came closer defensively. I'm truly sorry to hear that. To better days and new friends. And to our dead. May they be in a better place." The man clanged his glass against the table and she took a long drink straight from the bottle she had earlier in aggravation. "Ah! What about you? Pretty thing like you must got a pretty name." He said. "That's Payne." Glen answered. "Payne huh? Wow. Birth name or nickname? Don't wanna get on your bad side." He laughed. "Birth." She growled out. The man set his glass down and looked towards them. As he leaned she spotted the gleam from a pistol tucked into his waist band. He pulled it forward. "Nice huh? Got it off a cop." Rick stiffened. "I'm a cop." He said. "This one was already dead." She clenched her fist around her bow and settled it against the bar, pointing towards Dave innocently enough...for now. "You guys are a long way from philadelphia." "Feels like a long way from anywhere." "What drove you south?" Rick asked. "I can tell you it wasn't the weather. Musta dropped 30 lbs in sweat alone down here" "Yea I wish." Said the fat one. "No, first it was DC. Heard there might be some kinda refugee camp but the roads were so jammed we never even got close. We decided to get off the highway and keep haulin ass. Every group we came across had a new rumor about a way outta this thing." Dave said. "One guy told us the coast gaurds in the gulf, sendin ferrys to the islands." The fat one as he stared at her, winking. She gagged. "Latest was a railyard in montgomery sendin trains to the middle of the country. Kansas, Nebraska." She scoffed. "Nebraska?" Glen asked. "Low population, lots of guns." "Makes sense." Glen said and she grabbed another cork to throw at him. "Ever been to Nebraska kid? There's a reason they're called fly over states." Dave said. The fat one chuckled and looked over at him under the brim of his hat. "How bout you guys?" Dave asked. "Fort Benning eventually." Rick answered. "Hate to piss in your cornflakes officer but um, we ran across a grunt who was stationed at Benning. Said the whole station was over run by lame brains." Dave said. "If Fort Benning is gone, are you for real?" Glen asked "Sadly I am. Ugly truth is, there is no way outta this mess. Just keep goin from one pipe dream to the next. Prayin one of these mindless freaks doesn't grab ahold of you when you sleep." "If you sleep." "Yea, it don't look like you guys are hangin your hats here. You holed up somewhere else?" Dave asked. There was a long pause. "Not really." Rick said, leaning back and then shifting forward. He sucked at lying. "Thos your cars out front?" "Yea. Why?" Glen asked. "We're livin outta ours. Yours look, ah, kinda empty, clean. Where's all your gear?" She shifted. "We're with a larger group. Out scouting, thought we could use a drink." Hershel said. "A drink? Hershel, I thought you quit. We were thinkin of stickin around here, is it safe?" "Can be, I mean, killed a couple walkers around here." Glen said. "Walkers? That what you call em? That's good. I like that better than lame brains." She turned away and took another long gulp. She really didn't wanna be here.

"So what, you guys set up on the outskirts or somethin? The new development?" "Trailer park or somethin?" "Farm? Old Mcdonald had a farm...Got a farm?" She watched as the fat one strolled past and began to unzip his pants. She looked away in disgust as he began to piss against the wall. "Safe? Gotta be. What, you got food? Water?" Dave asked, leaning forward in his chair. He was watching. Knew exactly what to watch for. "You got more cooze? I haven't had a piece of ass in weeks." The fat one winked over his shoulder at her and this time she couldn't hold back the vomit that came up from her throat. She held her hair to the side as she coughed up the rancid contents of her stomach. "Officer, pardon me friend. City kids, they got no tact, no disrespect. So listen, Glen-" "We've said enough." Rick cut him off. "Well hang on a second. This, This farm sounds pretty sweet. Don't it sound sweet tony?" Dave asked. She grabbed a dusty bar rag from under the counter and wiped her mouth. "Yea, real sweet." "How bout a little southern hospitality? We got some buddies back at camp. Been having a real hard time. Don't see why you can't make room for a few more. We could pool our resources. Our man power-" "Look i'm sorry. That's not an option." Rick said. "Doesn't sound like it'd be a problem." "I'm sorry, we can't." "We can't take in anymore." Dave laughed as he fiddled with his fingers. "You guys are somethin else. I thought, ya know, I thought we were friends. We got people we gotta look out for too." "We don't know anything about you" Rick said. "Well thats true. You don't know anything about us. You don't know what we've had to go through out there. Things we've had to do...I bet you've had to do some of those same things yourselves, am I right? Ain't nobody's hands clean in this world. We're all the same. So come on lets take a nice friendly hay ride to this farm and get to know each other." Dave said. "That's not gunna happen." Rick said. "Rick-" "This is bullshit." "Calm down." Rick told the fat one. "Don't you tell me to calm down. Don't EVER tell me to calm down. I'll shoot you three assholes in the head, take the bitch over there, and take your damn camp." Fat one shouted. She gripped her bow and slid her fingers over the fletching of her arrow, ready to pull back the string. "Whoa, whoa. Relax. Take it easy. Nobody's killin anybody. Nobody shootin nobody. Right Rick?" Dave asked as he climbed over the counter and jumped down beside her. She moved away, setting her bow to where she could aim at the fat one behind Rick quickly as Rick stared towards Dave. He brushed his hand against his pistol and the fat one moved to grab his shotgun. Dave set his pistol down on the bar, pointed directly at Rick. "Just friends havin a drink. That's all. Now! Where's the good stuff? Ah? Good stuff, good stuff, good stuff. Lets see." Rick reached towards his pistol as Dave leaned down, pausing slightly before grabbing a bottle. "Hey, look at that. That'll work. You gotta understand. We can't stay out there. You know what it's like." "Yea I do." Rick said. " But the farm is too crowded as is, i'm sorry. You'll have to keep lookin." "Keep lookin? Where do you suggest we do that?" Dave asked. "I don't know." Rick sighed out. "I hear Nebraska's nice." She growled out. "Ha ha ha. Nebraska. This girl." Dave reached for his pistol and the shot from Rick came quickly. She shot her arrow, pinning the fat one to the wall by his throat. Rick turned and shot him once more in the head. Rick and Hershel looked down at him and she pulled another arrow. Where there was 2, there were more.

"You alright?" Rick asked Glen. "Yea." He said shakily. "Hershel?" Hershel looked down at the bodies quietly. "Payne?" She grunted. "Lets head back." Hershel said and she jumped over the bar ready to do just that. "Car. Car. Get down." Rick whispered as they saw headlights through the window. "Dave? Tony?" A voice called from outside. She moved toward the back, seeing if the back door would be clear. She kneeled by the back door, watching carefully with her bow drawn back. She would cover the back if they covered the front. She could hear talking from the front and looked back. Shots came through the window and she ducked, even as a sharp sting came across her shoulder. "Get outta here! Go!" Rick shouted. Soon Glen and Hershel were by her side near the back.

*****Daryl POV******  
He sat infront of his fire, using a stick to stir around the coals as Carol came up to him. "Lori's missing. And the others aren't back yet either." She said. He looked at her before looking back towards the fire. "Dumb bitch musta gone lookin for em." He said. "You knew?" Carol asked. "She came here and asked me to look for em. Told her I was done bein an errand boy." "And you didn't say anything?" Carol asked. He poked some more at the fire. Why were they always coming to him to fix shit? Carol began to walk away and he slumped down. Already he could hear her footsteps as she turned and walked back towards him. "Don't do this. Please. I've already lost my girl." "That wasn't my problem nether." He said and stood, marching past her, towards his tent. "Payne isn't back either." She said louder. He stopped briefly and looked back. "What the hell do I care? She can take care of herself. I'm done." He said but even then, thoughts that the golden eyed woman might not make it back swirled through his head. What the fuck do these people expect him to do?! Ride in and save the whole god damn world?! Nah, that wasn't him. He couldn't be that. Wasn't for Sophia, he wouldn't be for her or Rick or Hershel.  
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She held her shoulder and clenched her teeth as she pulled back a bloody hand. Leaning against the wall, she watched as Glen moved ahead of her, down through the seperating door for the storage room. The steps squeaked horribly as he stepped on them. After a moment she heard a shot and rushed forward to make sure Glen was ok. He was shaky but still standing, glass blown out from the back door. "Glen!" Rick shouted. "I, I'm alright! I'm alright!" Glen said, waving towards them. She stooped next to him and yanked his gun down as he turned at the sound of approaching steps. Hershel came up behind them and Glen apologized, taking deep breathes. "Rick wants you two to try for the car." Hershel said. "Try?" "You'll try and succeed. I'll cover you." He said. "This is a great plan." Glen said sarcastically and she peeked around the broken glass to either end of the alley. Glen opened the door slowly and walked out, breathing heavily as he shambled forward. Seeing a man entering the end of the alley, she jumped out and tackled Glen to the ground, shouting as a new burning pain came across her back. Another shot and she heard a man groan further away. "What happened?" Ricks voice. "He fired. Musta hit one of them. They're behind the dumpster. Doesn't look like they're movin." Hershel said and she rolled off of Glen, arching her back against the stinging pain. "You hit?" Rick asked. "Are you hit?" Rick asked again as Glen failed to answer. "No...No. Payne pushed me outta the way." Glen said between breaths. She laid there on the ground, not willing to move. "It's alright. The cars right there. We're almost home. You good?" "I'm good." Glen answered and she flipped them both off. "Let's go." Rick said before he moved further up the alley. She could hear the shots hitting against metal and grimaced as she sat up. She heard the screaming and shouting as she slowly moved. A white truck sped past them and walkers began to come forward, drawn by the sound of gun shots. "Where's Rick? Hell we can't go without him...Rick!" Hershel shouted and ran across the street to where a kid, maybe a teenage boy, was laying ontop of a dumpster, his leg impaled by the fence spike. She walked towards her truck and started it, driving closer to them, trying to block of part of the street to buy more time. Grabbing her pistol from the glove compartment, she shot from her window, doing her best to watch out for the men. The boy shouting for them not to leave him. Shouting, screaming. A loud scream came and she saw Glen and Rick carrying the boy towards their car. Once they were safely in the car, she slammed on the gas, taking down walkers under her wheels as she went to clear a better path for them.

The sun was rising and her eyes stung. She was tired and hungry and tired. Even with her sunglasses on, the sun blinded her and sent pinpricks through her eyes. She was relieved though. They were finally driving down Hershels driveway. Rick and the other were in the vehichle behind her as she made for a best walker plow. Her front windshield was cracked and covered in slimy remains and dark blood. She was sure her front end would look like it came from a butcher. Parking her truck, she shut off the engine and opened her door, leaning back against the seat, with no real energy to move past it. Carl rushed up to greet Rick, grabbing him in a hug. Maggie bypassed Hershel and went straight to Glen, holding him tightly until he pushed past her. "Patricia. Prepare the shed for surgery." Hershel called. She closed her eyes, more than ready for some sleep, even if it came while she was sitting there. "Who the hell is that?" She heard. "That's Randall." Glen said. The group moved to surround the car, looking at the boy through the windows. "Hey, you good?" She opened her eyes and saw Daryl next to her. "Yea i'm good. Just been a long night." She said. "Don't bullshit me. You're bleedin." He said and she laughed. "Oh someone finally noticed. Ha! I'm just gunna stay here. I'll be fine." She grinned over towards him and yelped as she was lifted from her seat. She shouted as her back and shoulder burned at the pressure. Daryl set her down and turned her so he could see it. His fingers lifted her shirt from her shoulder, prodding at the graze before lifting her shirt to do the same against her back. "The fuck is wrong with you? You stupid or somethin? Everybody else comes back without a scratch and your dumbass comes back with two bullet holes." He scoffed and she groaned, digging her fingers into the leather seat. He pulled her good arm over his shoulder and his hand encircled her hip, trying to take most of her weight onto himself while he helped her walk into Hershels home and sat her down on a chair. "I'll get Hershel. You stay here." He said and she gave him a thumbs up as her head lolled back.


	16. Chapter 16

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part of the walking dead. If I did I wouldn't need to worry about bills EVER!...but sadly I do...I only own my OC...*

It was hours before Hershel came into the small parlor where she sat. She had drifted in and out of consciousness, the only thing waking her had been her own movements that sent burning pain through her body, and loud shouting from the next room. She felt a hand against her forehead and cracked open one of her eyes. They burned, her eyes, while they were closed and even more if she opened them. "You have a fever." Hershel said as he wet a rag and used it to clean around her shoulder. She grimaced at the feeling of it dragging along her skin. "I'm gunna have to stitch this closed. Think you can handle it?" She nodded weakly and tensed as she felt the first sharp sting of a needle being pushed through her skin. Over and over it repeated and she had to admit that she wasn't the biggest fan of needles, even with her many tattoos and her piercings. There was a difference damnit. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Hershel asked. Sighing in annoyance, she rolled onto her stomach. Again he cleaned and stitched and bandaged the area and she was certainly feeling like what Shane had called her before. A pincushion. Stuck over and over again. She laid there tiredly until he finally finished. "I'll get Maggie and get her to help you clean up some. We'll get you some food and medicine. Knock this fever out." He said and patted her head as he stood.

It was a short while later that Maggie came to her side. "Hey. You ready?" Maggie asked. Without answering, she lifted, arms shaking at the effort and leaned back on her legs. With shaking steps and Maggies help, she was ushered into the bathroom where a both of hot steaming water sat. It was only filled a few inches but it would be enough. She pulled her ruined shirt from her body slowly, wincing as she went to pull it over her head. She sat against the tub as Maggie pulled off her boots, socks, jeans and panties. "Usually I'd atleast go on a first date before letting someone take off my underwear." She joked and reached back to unhook her bra before Maggie helped her lower into the water. It only rose up to her waist as she sat but it still felt wonderful on her skin. Maggie dragged a stool over to the tub and sat, dipping a rag into the water and scrubbing it against a bar of soap before gently washing her back, being careful around the fresh bandages. She grabbed the rag from Maggies hands and scrubbed her face before moving on to her front and down her legs. The water had turned a murky brown when she was finally finished. Maggie helped her to stand and slowly dried her off. On the sink sat a small pile of clothes that she hadn't noticed earlier. A red plaid pair of pajama pants that she had no doubt belonged to Maggie, a simple white T-shirt, and a clean pair of underwear. With help she tugged them on and was lead towards the guest room that she and Daryl had slept in after they had gotten hurt a few days before. She lowered slowly to the bed grit her teeth as she laid down against the mattress. "Hey...Thankyou...for saving Glen. He told me that you pushed him outta the way, and that's how you got shot. He means a lot to me..." Maggie said as she looked down at the sheets. "It's fine. It's partly my fault anyway. I shoulda stopped Hershel instead of being his driver." She said and closed her eyes. "But you helped to bring them back safe. So I'm thankful you were there. It could have been a lot worse." She patted Maggies hand and drifted to sleep surrounded by the soft blankets and pillows.

For days Hershel wouldn't let her leave the bed, so like a mature adult, she grumbled and refused the help he offered, thoroughly irritated at being stuck in the room. She wanted to be up, to do something. Anything. When Hershel finally left her side for lunch and to check on Beth, she quickly yanked on her boots, grabbing her knife and bow and arrows and made a mad dash down the stairs. Crashing through the front door, she tore out into the woods. Her boots tearing up bits of grass and dirt as she ran, ignoring the burning in her lungs and back. She just wanted to be away for a while. Behind her she heard the shout from Hershel and she pushed to run faster. She wouldn't go back into that bed. No way in hell. Even as the trees surrounded her she kept running. Running until she was forced to stop to drag air into her screaming lungs. Groaning came not far away and she froze. Drawing her bow up, she notched her arrow and pulled it back to the corner of her mouth. With steps as light as she could, she slowly moved forward, hearing more grunting and a swear...Walkers don't swear...Carefully peering around the tree in front of her, she frowned. There on the ground, wrestling with a walker, was Daryl. Walkers stumbling towards him and tripping on the several bodies that lay around him as he struggled in the small ditch, sweaty and covered in black ooze that stunk. With a grunt she released her arrow into the back of the walkers skull above him and narrowed her eyes towards the other walkers that now turned in her direction. She could see him scramble to grab his crossbow even as she took aim again. She had good aim but it was slow, took time, and they were approaching faster than she could take down before they reached her. Slinging her bow over her shoulder, she grabbed her knife and jumped down into the small ditch, jabbing her knife under the chin of the first walker that came close enough. Beside her Daryl had switched for his knife as his supply of bolts dwindled down to nothing. Grunting against the sting in her back and shoulder, she pressed forward, her knife becoming slippery as she pulled it back from the eye socket of a walker and then planting it upward through the nose of another. There it stuck. She gripped it tightly but still her hand slid, covered in the slimy goop that was walker blood. Another walker came closer and with a downward flick of her wrist, her bracer blade shot forward and she jabbed. Slamming her fist into the side of the walkers temple and her blade entered like a hot knife through butter. She heard the harsh breathing walking towards her and turned, red faced Daryl was still sexy damnit. "The fuck do you think you're doin?! Didn't Hershel keep you in bed?!" He shouted. She scowled. Who the hell was he to get mad at her for not being in bed? "What the fuck do you think YOU'RE doin? You my watch dog or some shit? Fuck off." She said and turned to leave. His hand grabbed her arm and she pulled harshly, her leg kicking out to sweep under him. What she did not think about was if he would let go or not. He did not. She tumbled down over him and held her right arm in the air to remind herself not to punch with the blade still out. She sat up, using his chest as her balancing board even as he looked ready to kill. "Knock it the fuck off and don't grab me unless you plan to man up about it." She bit out and watched as he scoffed, his ear tips turning red as he refused to look at her. "Don't go saying shit like that! Get the hell off me!" He shouted and she really wanted him to shut up. Yes his growling voice was equal to a wet dream but he could be saying much better things. If only..."What the fuck you mean if only?" He asked. Oh shit...had she said that out loud? "If only, if only..." She sang out the tune as she leaned closer, hovering her finger over his forehead. His eyes narrowed and she couldn't resist. Pressing forward she poked his forehead and as he opened his mouth to shout at her she placed her lips over his. The unorthodox kiss shutting him up and making him tense before he shoved her away and she grinned. Licking her lips, she winked at him and pushed her blade back into her bracer before turning and making a dash for deeper woods before he could fire a bolt into her ass. It's what she would do.

She stopped running when she reached her home. Leaping over her front gate, she trotted easily towards her garden and snagged a few cucumbers and tomatoes before walking towards her home and unlocking the door. Demon was back at Hershels, rolling around in the fields and playing with Carl so she wasn't worried about him. She did however frown at the few dishes sitting in her sink. One she knew of. The tuberware Daryl had eaten from. The others, she knew nothing about. She was either going to give Maggie a talking to or she was about to kill someone who had broken into her home. Looking at the front door she noted it was unlocked. Grabbing her bow, she drew it back and crept around the doorway. Eyes sweeping over the slightly disturbed couch before moving on. She looked in towards her bedroom and found the sheets even more rumpled than she had left them. Her nose scrunched in disgust as she moved to check the bathroom, towels on her bathroom floor a bar of soap sitting on the bottom of the tub. Oh she was livid. She would have to burn her sheets, throw away the soap, burn the towels. Damnit! She liked those towels! Nothing else was out of place. No dirt smudges on her sheets, no opened cans of food. No dirty clothes. No missing clothes. And no bodies. So there goes strangers breaking into her house. That just left a very stupid girl and her very stupid boyfriend. Yep. She was so going to burn her sheets.


	17. Chapter 17

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part of the walking dead. Just my OC.*

After cleaning her home with vinyl gloves over her hands, she grabbed her small pillage of vegetables and made her way back through the woods towards Hershels home. Yes he would be absolutely livid with her but she had a bone to pick with his daughter. Stomping her way through the woods calmed her slightly and as she neared Hershels fence line she nearly turned back. She did not want to be on the receiving end of one of Hershels speeches. Then again what did she expect to happen when she took off out of the sick bed like a bat out of hell? It was pure luck that she happened to see Glen and Maggie both walking nearby. With a grin she strode towards them, an icy gleam entering her eyes. They stopped walking when they spotted her and Glen had the nerve to look over at Maggie for guidance, swallowing thickly and shifting his feet. "Hey you two! What have you been doing lately?" She asked with too much happiness oozing out. Maggie tensed. She knew. "I swear to god we'll clean up. You know daddy, there's no privacy. And you were stuck in bed for a few days. I swear I'll go clean it right now." Maggie stumbled out. Her grinned tightened. Stretching just a bit too far to be comfortable and her eyes narrowed. The perfect impression of the cheshire cat if she did say so herself. "You will burn it. All the sheets you touched. All the towels you used. You will disinfect my couch and tub, sweep and mop my floors. You will find new sheets and towels, wash them, dry them, make my bed, and fold the towels. Use my house again, and you. will. pay. Sheets and towels are outside the garage." She seethed out. Maggie nodded and pulled Glen with her as she moved towards the woods. "Don't take the woods. You know that. Take the road." She said. "All the traps are gone. It's fine to take the path. You take it." Maggie argued. "They aren't gone. They're still there. I just avoid them. Don't take the woods." She said and turned towards the house where she could already see Hershel staring through one of his front windows. Facing Hershel after running away, even for her own sanity, was not on her list of things she wanted to do. Shut up an angry redneck again, that was in the top spot of things she wanted to do. She'd rather do that. So much.

As expected, Hershel had plenty to say about her little stunt. So much in fact that he grabbed a piece of rope and tied it around her ankle to make sure she couldn't run off again. She still could. The rope was only there to comfort his own mind. It did very little to actually stop her. She still had her bracer blade and her knife wasn't far from the bed. Poor Hershel. Thinking she would be a good girl...Her biggest punishment however was if she wanted to go outside, someone would have to lead her rope so she couldn't go very far without supervision. That he would say something like that...it drove her to consider actually running away. She seethed, backing against the headboard and staring towards him as the angry blonde stepped into the room. "Andrea volunteered to take you on a walk." Hershel said and she growled. "Thank you HERSHEL for making me sound like a damn DOG. Lets get this shit over with." She ground out. "Don't you raise your voice at me. If you hadn't run out earlier you wouldn't be in this situation to begin with." Hershel said and she glared daggers at him. Andrea stepped forward as Hershel left the room. The woman lifted the rope and measured out rope with her hands before gathering her wrists and tying them together. "So he treats me like a dog. You treat me like a prisoner. So much fucking better." She snapped as she planted her feet and stood quickly, bumping her chest against the woman to make her stumble back a few steps. "You should be grateful I'm doing this at all. I could let you rot in that bed till Hershel says you can get out." The woman said as she gripped the end of the rope, twisting it around her hand a few times, the other placed firmly on her hip. Well two could play that game. She was going to make the woman wish she hadn't volunteered.

The walk started well. Even bare foot and in pajamas, she was happy to be outside. The blonde ahead of her tugged at the rope and she willingly followed into the groups camp. What she hadn't noticed was that her favorite redneck had moved his tent a good distance away from the group. The angry blonde strutted proudly, showing off that she held the rope. Glancing back to be sure Hershel wasn't watching, she halted. The rope snapped taunt and the blonde stumbled at the abrupt stop. "Come on. Lets go." The blonde said and she turned her head to grin towards the woman. The woman frowned, not at all liking the sudden change. And she shouldn't. She could see a few people stopping to look at the scene that was happening. They would certainly get an eye full that was for sure. "Do you like rope play?" She asked as she slowly stepped towards the woman, the grin spreading wider. "Like bondage? No I don't and you're the one tied up, not me." Blondie said. It was true but so easily rectified. Stepping around the woman in a slow circle, she nodded. "That's true. You're just leadin me around, bein a good little peon. Tryin to prove your worth to the big men around camp. I got news for you lady. You ain't doing shit that I'm not lettin you do." She said as she stepped back, daring the angry blonde to try it. "You don't LET me do anything. I'm leading you around like a puppy who left its leash one too many times. You don't get to do a thing unless I bring you. Think you've spent enough time around Daryl. You two are starting to sound just alike." The blonde said. Her grin turned toothy as the blonde had yet to notice the rope wrapped loosely around her feet. Taking another step back, she yanked her hands to her side, the rope around Blondies feet tightening and pulling them from under her. Blondie landed on the ground with a thump and she moved, wrapping the rope around the womans chest and arms while quickly untying her own wrists and ankle. She squatted down to get a better look at the thoroughly pissed face. "Like I said. I let you. Now I'm not. Now you're all tied up with rope and I'm free as a bird to do whatever the hell I want. All your friends are watching. Watching you fail at something as simple as leading me around. You act all tough like you're some big shot but honey, you ain't shit. Have fun." She said and kicked at the womans boot before strolling back towards Hershels home and sitting on a stool, propping her feet up while she grabbed a slice of cucumber and munched happily.

Hershel bugged her to apologize. While she loved him dearly, she also laughed in his face, giggling like a school girl. There was no way in hell she would apologize, which she told him in a very unapologetic tone. The man simply sighed and checked over her wounds one more time. Like she had somehow managed to magically rip them open just by walking. She had not, by the way. She felt better than she had in days. The stinging was still there but that's all it was. Just stinging. She always had a high pain tolerance and Hershel tended to be a bit heavy handed with the pain meds. It was most likely because he was used to doping up animals and not actual people. You under dose a cow and you're likely to have your leg broken by a hoof. Not so much with a person. She began to whistle as she pulled a pack of teriyaki jerky over to her side, tearing stripes apart with her teeth and contentedly gnawing on the harder parts. As she chewed Lori walked part her and froze. A sharp intake of breath before the woman picked up her own hair to cover her nose and hastily made a retreat from the kitchen. Well now...someone seems a bit sick. Could be regular old nausea...or could be morning sickness. Carol had asked her for a few womens supplies, and she knew how stocked Beth and Maggie were but Lori hadn't asked yet. The woman also refused the morning coffee now but hadn't a few days ago... She crumpled her bag of jerky and stashed it in a drawer before wiping her hands off on her pajama pants and following after the woman.

Lori was sitting on the front porch, elbows on her knees as she breathed deeply with her head down. "So, how far along?" She asked as she plopped down beside the woman. Lori jerked back and stared wide eyed. "Excuse me?" Lori asked. "I was a nurse, remember? How far along are you?" She asked again. "Did Glen tell you?" Lori asked. She snorted. "You aren't very good at hiding it." She said with a smile. "I don't know. Maybe a month?" She ran her tongue over her teeth in thought before standing. "If Hershel asks, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." She said and jogged to her truck, starting the engine and driving quickly to her home where she spotted Glen and Maggie burning a small pile near the pond. She smirked and hurried inside, grabbing a small bottle of KY from her nightstand before going to her bedroom closet where she rummaged through a tote filled with knick-knacks and bobbles and until just now, medical equipment she thought was useless. One of which being a fetal doppler. She gave a small whoop! and jogged back to her truck, cringing against the sting in her shoulder and back as she jumped into the driver seat. She drove back quickly and stopped the truck close to the front door, killing the engine and grabbing the small contraption before practically skipping over to plop down on her seat beside Lori. "You wanna check on Itty Bitty? Got my handy dandy doppler to check for the heart beat. Can maybe give a rough estimation. If you are about a month in, we won't be able to hear anything. BUT if you're closer to two months we'll probably hear a little something. Depends on where the baby is sitting." The way Lori looked at her was like she grew a second head. "Itty Bitty? I didn't peg you for a baby person." Lori said with a small laugh. Her smile faltered slightly before she pinned it back into place. She didn't like a lot of people. Matter of fact, she hated most people with a passion, but kids were different. Could just be her wanting what she couldn't have. "I love kids. Especially babies. It's grownups I don't like. Babies can't stab you in the back or hang you out to dry." She said as she looked down at the doppler in her hands, fiddling with the small cord attached to it. Lori stood, dusting off her pants from imaginary dirt. "Well where do you want to do this?" Lori asked. She smiled and stood, walking into the house and back towards the bed that had held her hostage for nearly a week.

Lori laid down on the bed, unbuttoning the bottom of her shirt by a few buttons and parting it. She sat down beside her and placed a small amount of the lubricant over the womans abdomen. "Gunna be a little cold." She said and pressed the small microphone against the womans skin, smearing the lube around and pressing in. With a small set of headphones plugged into the machine, she narrowed her eyes and listened closely as she moved the microphone around. No matter where she moved it, she couldn't hear a heartbeat. Turning off the small machine, she yanked the headphones from her ears and then used a corner of the blanket to wipe the lube from Loris belly. After it was clear used her fingers to press down until she could just barely feel the tiny bulge in Loris womb. She smiled. "Good news is, you are definitely pregnant. We can't hear a heart beat yet so taking that into account, you aren't even 8 weeks yet. So somewhere around a month wouldn't be far off. Do you have prenatals? If not I'll make a run into town, get you some and a few boxes of nutrition shakes, maybe some nausea meds. Nothing too strong, can't have you falling asleep all day long. So with that, Zofran is out but a low dose on Phenergan should help you with morning sickness. You'll need the nutrition shake to help gain the weight. You're already too skinny. World going to shit probably didn't help that any. Same thing that happened with Carl. Little to no caffeine. No alcohol. No cigarettes. No heavy lifting." She said as she ticked off her fingers. "If I didn't hear you were a nurse before, I'd believe it now." Lori said with a smile as she sat up, buttoning her shirt. "You'll get used to it. I'll be checking again for a heart beat in a couple weeks. I'll keep my measuring tape on me from now on and keep a journal so I can keep up with Itty Bittys growth." She said. "You volunteering for midwife duty?" Lori asked with a laugh. "Wouldn't be the first baby I've delivered." She said with a grin as Lori stood. Lori bent down and crushed her in a hug and she tensed. "Thank you. When I found out, I wasn't sure about keeping it. I mean who would want this life for their child? But that isn't my decision to make. I won't take away it's life without at least giving it a chance." Lori pulled away and she stared up at her. "I may not be the best influence, but I'll fight to protect Itty Bitty. To protect Carl. Might as well call me Aunt Payne because there's no getting rid of me." She said and watched as Lori snorted back a wet laugh before sniffling. "It'll be alright." She said and stood, rubbing her hand soothingly up and down the womans back.


	18. Chapter 18

*Disclaimer! I do not own anything about the walking dead. Just my OC. Oh and I've been forgetting to mention to Andrea bashing...oops :)*

The next day Rick and Shane left with Randall. It was none of her business really but going anywhere with Shane seemed like suicide. Maybe that was just her opinion. Her first impression of him at the quarry was bad but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as when she saw him again. Something had changed the man and it wasn't in any way good. He seemed a bit unhinged. After promising to not do anything stupid, she sat with Beth for a while. Apparently that was the only thing she was allowed to do besides hang around the house and mooch off their food. The change in Beth was heartbreaking. The girl that was once so happy was now always silently crying and asking why she still wanted to live. " You know, I tried once. Obviously I didn't try hard enough. I got scared. The world was bad yeah, I didn't wanna live with myself. There was no point. In the end, when I could feel myself going cold, I couldn't do it. I thought dying was easy. But it wasn't. It was scary and cold and I was alone. It was hard. So I fixed myself up and said I'd never do it again. This way I can fight. You know me, I'm good at fighting. When I die, I'll have no regrets and hopefully I'll have people around me that care that I'm gone. I'll go down swingin so I can be proud of myself." She said and smiled towards the girl as Maggie opened the door. "Hey, there's a plate of food with your name on it in the kitchen." Maggie said and she patted Beths hands before lifting and walking into the kitchen where a plate of chopped veggies sat for her. She ate slowly, using the pieces of carrot to build a small tower before knocking them over with a wedge of cucumber. When her plate was emptied she saw Maggie walk out the front door. Scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, she walked forward to look out the window. When the angry blonde followed outside after a minute she thought maybe she was seeing things. They wouldn't leave Beth alone...was Lori inside and she didn't notice?

She stood at the window watching until Maggie came back inside. "Why were you outside?" She asked. "Andrea said she would stay with Beth while I took a little break." Maggie said easily and that only made her angry. She pushed Maggie back and raced towards Beths room. Slamming open the door she looked around but didn't see her. She could hear crying from the bathroom and moved to jiggle the doorknob. Maggie came in the room with wide eyes. "Beth? Beth!" Maggie shouted as she reached for the door. The sound of glass shattering just as Lori walked in made them freeze. "Move." She said. When Maggie cleared from in front of the door she lifted her foot and crashed it down onto the door with her full weight. The door frame splintered and swung open, Beth stood in front of the bathroom mirror and when she turned she held her hand over a bleeding wrist. Maggie pulled Beth forward as the girl cried harder. She had done the same thing once and Beth knew now that it really was hard just letting go. Hershel walked in and began to clean and stitch Beths wrist. She saw Maggie walking from the room with angry stomps and Lori followed after her. She knew exactly where Maggie was going and was going too damnit. Blondie had gone too far. As they stepped out from the front door she could see Blondie jogging towards the house. "I heard. Is she ok?" She scoffed at the first words from her mouth being a question for Beths health. Maggie sneered out a reply and as Maggie turned back towards the house, she walked forward. Blondie tensed as she stepped closer. When she was inches from her face, she stood, staring into the womans eyes with a scowl. Blondie moved to turn away and she reared her head back. Bringing her cranium down onto the womans face in a vicious headbutt. Blondie stumbled back, holding her hands over her bleeding nose and shouting curses. She spit towards the woman and turned, walking back towards the house where Lori and Maggie were having a small chat that she abruptly ended by pushing her way inside.

It was nearing night when Rick and Shane pulled up in the yard and she frowned. They were sweaty and dirty and bloody. Something had gone wrong. She knew him going with Shane would end in trouble but apparently she was the only one that saw that. People were stupid...Tilting her head to the side and craning her neck forward, she almost looked like an owl in her odd position tryin to see into the vehicle. A hooded figure moved in the very back and she knew it was Randall. Something had changed. That was never good. Lori went off to Ricks side and she watched Carl trailing to the familys tent with Demon at the boys side. She would probably have a hard time reclaiming her dog but that was ok. They were good for each other. After a bit of watching the group as they fussed over the injured men, she saw Rick bring Randall back to the shed he was in before. Her favorite redneck came striding into the camp staring towards the shed. Obviously he was as confused as she was. That made her feel just a little better. When the group started to head towards the house she moved to stand beside the door. Blondie was not going anywhere near the house if she had any say about it. The angry blonde moved to step towards the door and she blocked her way, bumping her back with her crossed arms. Blondie sneered and tried again only to come close to being shoved down the stairs. "You aren't welcome." She said and walked through the door, closing it behind her while she made her way upstairs. "Payne." Rick called. She stopped and looked over at the man. "I already asked Daryl and I want to know if you would help out too. We need to know what he knows. When we went to drop him off he said he went to school with Maggie. Do you think you could find out more?" Rick asked. One by one she cracked her knuckles and nodded. Even with bare feet she walked out towards the small shed with murder in her eyes. If he knew Maggie, he would know where the farm was. She couldn't have that.

She stood leaning against the shed wall as Daryl plowed his fist into Randalls face. The boy falling onto his side and spitting out a small amount of blood. "I already told you man." The boy cried out. "You ain't told me shit." Daryl growled out as he hauled the boy to sit up. "I hardly knew those guys. Met em on the road!" Randall said as he huffed, trying to breathe through a nose that was filled with blood. "How many o' you?" Daryl asked. As Randall waited to answer Daryl pulled his hunting knife from its sheath. "Nononononono. Come on man." Randall said as tears welled. Daryl stabbed his knife downward, landing in between the boys legs. "How many?!" Daryl shouted. "Ah, uh 30! 30! 30 guys." "Where?" "Uh.." She sighed, the boy wasn't the brightest tool in the shed that much was clear. Daryl ripped the bandage from the boys leg and she cringed. She hated taking off a band aid and often blubbered like a baby afterwards. Having the large bandage ripped off suddenly, the thought made her skin tighten uncomfortably. Randall yelled out in pain. "Ah! I don't know! I swear! We were never in a place more than a night!" Randall yelled as Daryl pressed the tip of his knife against the wound Hershel had worked so hard to tend. "You scouting? Plannin on stay local?" Daryl asked and Randall mumbled loudly trying not to look down at his exposed leg wound. "I don't know! They left me behind." Randall said. "You ever pick off a scab? Start real slow at first but then ya just gotta rip it off." She wasn't gunna lie. The way he growled it out like he had was hot. She just had to ignore that his knife was pressing into the oozing wound. "Ok! ok. They, they, they had weapons. Heavy weapons and stuff. Automatics. B-but I didn't do anything." Randall yelled. "Your boys shot at my boys. Shot Payne twice. Tried to take this farm. You just went along for the ride? You're tryin to tell me you're innocent?!" Daryl shouted. "Yes!" Randall shouted loudly, dragging in deep breaths. "These-these people took me in. Not just guys. A whole group of em. Men and women...kids too! Just like you people. Thought I'd have a better chance with them you know? But...we go out. Scavenge, just the men...One night we...we found this little campsite. A man and his two daughters...teenagers ya know? Real young, real cute." Oh god, she was going to be sick. "Their daddy had to watch while these guys...they...and they didn't even kill him afterwards. They just...they just made him watch as his daughters...they just...just...just left him there." The way Daryl slowly turned and stared at the boy made it seem like he was feeling the same way. The urge vomit became a struggle to keep down. "No, but-but...but I didn't touch those girls. No, I swear I didn't tou-" His rambling was cut off as Daryl kicked out his foot harshly into the boys side. "Please! Please. Ya gotta believe me man. I'm not like that... I ain't like that...Please. Please, ya gotta believe me." He rambled but that was stopped with another harsh kick into the boys stomach. Stepping forward, she patted Daryl on the shoulder and nodded her head towards the door. He scowled down at Randall before moving to lean against the door frame. "Ma'am. I'm sorry for shootin you. I-I just knew two of our guys went missin and ya'll said they were dead! You woulda done the same! It's nothin personal I swear!" He said. She pulled his head up and checked his eyes for dilation. If Daryl had given him a concussion, chances were some facts could be distorted. "So you went to school with Maggie huh?" She asked sweetly while she petted the boys hair back. He looked between her and Daryl warily. "Yea...I-I did! It was years ago. She never talked to me. She didn't know me! I just saw her there. " He said and she nodded. "You know where she lives?" She asked. "I...I-I don't know. It was years ago. And I never went there." "Shhhh...I never asked if you went there. Look at me. Do you know where she lives?" She asked again and watched as his eyes shifted to anywhere but her. That would be a yes. "I-I-I don't remember." He stammered out. "You should know not to lie." She smiled slammed her fist into his ribs. "I ain't lying!" He shouted after dragging in a haggard breath. "Don't you know? I'm like a human lie detector test and boy you just failed. Do you know her family?" She asked as she dragged him back to a seated position, closing his legs so she could sit on his knees. They buckled inward and she grinned as he sucked in a breath and squeezed his eyes shut. "Her-her dads name is Hershel. She's got a little sister. Beth I think. Ah...A step brother. Real peace o' work that guy. Used to shove me around in the hallway. Um...A step mom, Annette I think. Used to go to the same church as my mom. Nice lady." He said and she patted his face. "Good job." She said. "Hey,...Ain't you Ellie Anderson?" Randall asked and she tilted her head. "Yep." She popped her lips as she replied "Why are you here? I thought you woulda been long gone from these woods." She smiled wider. "Don't you know? I'm real good at huntin people in these woods. You know my name, don't you remember the story? Got years o' practice. It's a good spot for me." She dug her thumb into the wound on his leg and stood as he shouted in pain.

Side by side she and Daryl walked towards the group at their campsite. Daryl paused only briefly to lift his crossbow and pull it onto his shoulder. "Boy got himself a gang. 30 men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't lookin ta make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. Our women they're gunna...they're gunna wish they were." Daryl said. "What did you do?" She looked over at Carol as the woman eyed Daryls bloodied knuckles. "Had a little chat." Daryl said as he walked away. "No one goes near this guy." Rick said and she nodded. "Rick, what're you gunna do?" Lori stood in front of her husband. "We have no choice. He's a threat." Rick looked over at her and she nodded. Randall knew exactly where the farm is. "We have to eliminate the threat." He finished. "You're just gunna kill him?" The old man, Dale asked. "It's settled. I'll do it today." Rick said before walking off with Dale hot on his heels. She watched Daryls form grow smaller and Carol stepped up beside her. "When I first met Daryl he was a lot different. He just did what his brother told him and that's it. He's a good man. I can feel it." Carol said and she looked over to see the woman watching him walk away just like she had been. "So can I." She said and turned, walking back towards the house. She already knew that Hershel was out in the fields trying to fix a fence line and wrangle up some run away cows. Seemed like she had the time so she pulled on her boots and grabbed her knife before getting into her truck. Staying a few more days with Hershel and his family seemed like a good idea so she could keep an eye on things.


	19. Chapter 19

*Disclaimer! I do not own anything related to the walking dead. Just my OC.*

At her home she pulled on clean clothes. Simple blue jeans, a black racer back with a blue flannel long sleeve since the wind was turning colder. Going to her closet, she rummaged through it till she came across her old camping pack. Large with plenty of storage. She shoved a couple pairs of jeans in with a few T-shirts and racer backs, then a hoodie just because she got cold easy. The rest of the pack she filled with all the medicine and medical bandaging and equipment she could possibly need. She stowed it by the front door and dragged an empty tote from her attic. In it she stuffed all the cans of food she had along with emptying any boxes of granola bars or cereal bars. The group would need most of it and she was fine with hunting more often for her own food. Back and forth she went, collecting whatever popped into her head until she stopped to look at the growing pile. "It looks like I'm moving." She said aloud and shrugged. Using a duffel bag, she emptied the contents of her gun cabinet and zipped the bag closed. She had food, clothes, weapons, anything medical, blankets, her favorite pillow, a sleeping bag, a tent, an empty journal that she had already scrawled 'Itty Bitty Baby Book' over the top, a thin jacket and an extra thick jacket. Because she got COLD. Not chilly, no. Cold. Last thing to pack was her large display of candy and jerky. No way in hell was she leavin her candy behind. Loading it all into her truck took a while and she paced the softer and more sugary things in her back seat instead of the bed of the truck. Deciding she did not wan to deal with a wet pack, she pulled a tarp from her garage and cover the bed of her truck tightly. She wouldn't worry about dog food. If she could hunt, Demon would get fed all natural raw meat. Not processed and dried kibbles and bits.

When she reached Hershels home she frowned to see Blondie walking through the front door. Nobodys listens do they? She walked into the house and froze. There was the whole group milling about Hershels parlor. Shane included unfortunately. God in hell, she wished he would hurry up and die. She could make that happen if she could slip out and away without anyone noticing. Blonde bitch too. In front of the dividing arch stood Daryl and while she was just fine with standing there to stare at his ass, a very nice ass, she also didn't want to be in the same room as two of the people in there. She turned to leave when a hand landed on her shoulder. She tensed and narrowed her eyes. "Payne. If it's alright by you, I want you to stay and give your opinion on the matter." Rick said. She relaxed and walked forward to sit beside Hershel on the couch, close to a door and the pregnant lady in case a fight started. "So how do we do this? Just take a vote?" Dale asked. "Does it have to be unanimous?" Blondie. She glared towards the woman. "How about majority rules?" Asked Lori. "Well, let's...let's just see where everybody stands then we can talk through the options." Rick said. She nodded. That would be decent. "Well where I sit there's only one way to move forward." She scoffed. Of course that's what he would say. Damn Shane and his damn murdering spree...then again she did just think about murdering him herself a few minutes ago..."Killing him. Right? I mean why even bother to take a vote, it's clear which way the winds blowin." Dale said. She could agree on that. Most people thought it would be better to just kill the boy. Herself included. "Well if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know." Rick said. She nodded again. She didn't have to murder Randall, but she couldn't let him go back to his buddies. Maybe put him on Demons old run line? She could make that work. Set him up near the garden and wood pile. Would give the boy something to do that was productive, keep him within eye sight, and she could keep him safe from walkers in the house. Win-win. She could do it. "Well I can tell you it's a small group...Maybe just me and Glen." Dale said and she looked over to see Glen fidgeting in his seat. Soooo...no Glen. "Look...I..I think you're pretty much right about everything all the time, but this-" "They've got you scared." Dale cut him off in disbelief. "He's not one of us. And we've...we've lost too many people already." Glen said. "How bout you? Do you agree with this?" Dale asked as he motioned with his hat towards Hershel. "Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?" Maggie asked. "Just another mouth to feed." Daryl said as he got more comfortable against the wall support. "It may be a lean winter." Hershel said. "We could ration better." Lori supplied. "Well, he could be an asset. Give him a chance to prove himself." Dale. "Put him to work?" Glen tried. "We're not letting him walk around." Rick. "We could put an escort on him." Maggie. "Who wants to volunteer for that duty?" Shane. "I will." Dale offered. "I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy." Rick. "He's right. I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up." Lori. "We can't exactly put chains around his ankles and sentence him to hard labor." Bitch. "I got a run line at my cabin that Demon used to be on when he was a puppy. Solid steel chain coated in rubber. Can weld em closed and set him up near my garden. He can take care of it, contribute. And he'll be away from the familys. I'll keep him safe from walkers and make sure he doesn't go anywhere." She offered and saw Dale give a small smile her way. "Look, say we let him join us right? Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his 30 men." She scoffed again. It was like he hadn't heard her at all. "So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?! If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization." Dale said and she felt a small bit bad about thinking about killing the boy earlier. Not about Shane though. He's still fair game in her book. "Oh my god." Shane muttered and she wished she had brought her walking cane in so she could smash him with it. "Could you drive him further out? Leave him like you planned?" Hershel asked. "You barely came back this time. There are walkers. You could break down. Y-You could get lost." "Or get ambushed." Daryl added. "They're right. We shouldn't put our own people at risk." Glen. "If you go through with it, how would you do it? Would he suffer?" She stared at Patricia with wide eyes and an open mouth. Patricia? Really? "We could hang him right? Just snap his neck." Shane. "I thought about that. Shooting may be more humane." Rick. "And what about the body? Do we bury him?" T-dog. She didn't like much of anybody in this group anymore. All of em kill happy. "Whoa whoa. Hold on, hold on. You're talkin bout this like it's already decided." Dale said and she grunted in agreement. "You've been talkin all day, goin round in circles. You just wanna go round in circles again?" Daryl said as he paced in the hallway. "This is a young mans life! And it is worth more than a 5-minute conversation! Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him and now look at us. He's been tortured. He's gunna be executed. How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?" Dale said and she thoroughly agreed. "We all know what needs to be done." Shane. "No, Dale is right. We can't leave any stone unturned here. We have a responsibility-" Blondie cut Rick off. "So what's the other solution?" "Let Rick finish." Lori said. "We haven't come up with a single viable option yet. I wish we could." "There's mine ya stupid bitch." She said. "Well forgive me if I'm not ready to hand over someone to a backwoods freak just so she can let him run off back to his buddies." "The fuck you say? You got a problem? I'll knock it right the fuck outta you're head. I wouldn't let him go! I'd keep him under lock and damn key, watch him, make him worth it. I'm offering a god damn solution and you gunna call me a backwoods freak? Not very creative on the names are ya? Train don't go all the way to the station does it? Kiss my ass." She said and flipped her middle finger while she leaned forward, elbows on her knees even as Hershel pinched her arm at all the bad language. "Stop it. Just stop it. I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide.. either of you.. both of you. But leave me out." She frowned at Carol. "Not speaking out, or killing him yourself. There's no difference." Dale said. "Alright that's enough. Anybody wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance." Rick said and she waited. People sat or looked away and she scoffed loudly. Standing, she stomped her way out of the house, lifting her middle finger over her shoulder for any asshole watching her leave.

That night she couldn't stand to be in the house. Instead she cozied up in her back seat with her pillow and blankets, an open pack of Jerky on her lap as she lay in silence reading 'The Dragon Riders of Pern' for the hundredth time by the light of a small camping lantern. She didn't want to hear the shot, she didn't want to see their faces. Just when she was getting restless, instead of a shot she heard a scream. Prying open her back window, she looked out to see the group running out into the field searching for Dale as the screaming continued. She couldn't go out there. She couldn't. Even having the window open was making her lungs go haywire and her brain to malfunction. She couldn't. Not at night. Not near the woods. She wanted to help. Digging through her weapon bag, she grabbed an old .22 and screwed a silencer on its end. Then she dug around until she found her one and only night vision scope. Snapping it into place, she leaned out her window a bit and set the rifle to her shoulder. Out in the field she could see two figures struggling on the ground. Bottom one must be Dale and on top was a walker. Taking aim carefully, she let out a slow breath and squeezed the trigger. The figure on top fell limp just as another figure rushed towards them. It was the best she could do for them. Pulling her rifle back into the truck, she closed the window and set it back in her bag, sitting up with a hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep her Jerky dinner in her stomach. A shot rang out and she closed her eyes. Dale was gone.

She had hardly slept any by the time Maggie knocked on her driver side window. Cracking open the door she looked out at the sunny day and scowled. It shouldn't be sunny today. Not today. "It's time for Dale's funeral." Maggie said and she nodded, hoping out and brushing her hair over her shoulder before pulling on her thin jacket and shoving her hands in the pockets. She walked slowly towards the graves, standing by Hershel, staring at the freshly disturbed dirt. "Dale could...Could get under your skin. He sure got under mine. Because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare. And brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be lookin back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us...The truth, who we really are. In the end, he was talkin bout losin our humanity. He said this group is broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety, our future. We're not broken. We're gunna prove him wrong. From now on we're gunna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale." She wiped a hand over her face. She had hardly known Dale at all but he seemed like a good man. The fatherly type, and now he was gone...She felt the tears filling her eyes and blinked them back. When the group started to move away, she did too. Going back to her truck and sitting on the driver seat. Elbows propped on her knees, door wide open. She watched as the campsite was broke down and shoved into bags and vehicles. The vehicles drove closer to the doors and then began the task of unloading everything they had just loaded. "Payne will help watch the group, won't you?" Hershels voice dragged her from her staring and she nodded. What exactly she was nodding to she had no idea. "Thanks. It'll make me feel a bit better having you watching out for everybody while we're gone. Mainly just keep an eye on Shane." Ooooooh. That she could do. "Do better than one. I'm gunna go hunting for a bit. While you're still here." She said and he nodded. "Where you gunna set up?" Rick asked. "Um...somewhere?" She said slowly while she ran her fingers through her hair. Rick chuckled. "We'll save you a spot." He said and she smiled before grabbing her bow and shoving her knife into the waist band of her belt. With confident strides, she walked into the woods.

With her bow drawn and eyes scanning the ground, every small noise made her ears twitch. A few squirrels were all she hoped for. There were no tracks for any large game that she could see. Ahead of her she started to notice the traps still waiting for a victim. Eventually she should probably disable them. She didn't have the courage though. To touch them, remember being caught in them night after night. She couldn't do it. Just looking at them made her breath fall short and her chest pound painfully. Maybe a walker would set them all off eventually. It's what she was hoping for anyway.

Each squirrel she shot, she hooked onto her game belt until she felt she had enough for a decent stew for dinner. As she began to head back she paused. She could hear footsteps. Pressing her back against a nearby tree, she peeked around it and furrowed her brows. What was Randall doing in the woods. The question was soon answered as Shane came into view, herding the boy forward. Maybe herding was the wrong word...Randall was walking and talking like they were friends now. "I got a lot goin on ya know?" Randall said. "It ain't all about you" Shane said. "I..I ain't sayin it's about me. Just tryin ta-" Randall was cut off by scared shout before a cracking sound came. Shifting to peer towards where the noise came from, she saw Shane kneeling by the boy. Randalls head at an odd angle. Shane had killed him. She drew her bow back and cursed her luck as Shane looked straight at her. She loosed her arrow and unfortunately he ducked down just as she released, the arrow sailing to impale itself in the tree behind him. She notched another arrow but too slowly as Shanes fist slammed into her face. Her bow skidded away from her and she rushed to stand, kicking out her leg and bringing her foot up into his chin. While his head leaned back she reared her fist and plowed it into his gut. She thought he would've gone down to drag in a breath but no. Instead he grabbed her arm and brought his face down hard on hers. She stumbled back, spitting out the blood that now coated her tongue. Running the appendage over her mouth, she was satisfied that she hadn't bitten off part of it. Shane charged towards her and she side stepped, grabbing the back of his neck and slamming his face against the tree behind her with a satisfying crunch of broken bone. He paused for only a moment and she slowly stepped back. She realized her mistake as a sharp pain shot into her calf. A trap. She had stepped into a fucking trap! The old rope pulled taunt and she was swung into the air, blood seeping into her pants leg as she hung upside down. Shane laughed, the prick. He strode forward with a crazed gleam in his eyes. "Guess I don't have to do a thing. I'll leave you hear and all this fresh blood, the walkers'll come runnin. Eat you up like a hangin buffet." He laughed and she spit in his face. He wiped it away slowly and then she was swinging wildly with an ache in her temple as black encroached on her vision.

A light sweeping across her eyes made her groan as she slowly blinked open her eyes. Was the world upside down or was she crazy? Her jaw ached and her eye felt swollen but the worst of it was her leg. It felt like it was being cut in half. Looking towards the appendage, she felt tears well. No. No! She reached towards her thigh, pulling herself up until she could reach the old and molded rope that held her 6 feet off the ground. The grisly contraption with its teeth dug into her bone and flesh was a bear trap. She tried to pry it open but it only helped to open up the flow of blood dripping down her pants. Hearing voices trailing closer, she climbed the rotting rope higher, gritting her teeth against the pain in her leg, and held on, waiting to see if Shane had come back to make sure she was dead. "There's blood on this tree...Some more tracks...looks like they were walkin in tandem...There was a little dust up right here." She knew that voice. That growling drawl. Her favorite redneck. "What do you mean?" That would be Glen. Ah sweet Glen. Somebody get her the fuck down! "I mean something went down." No shit Sherlock. "It's getting weird." They paused looking at something on the ground. "Had a little trouble." She didn't see what they held up but moved to lower herself, the branch she was hanging from cracking at her weight. Below her she could hear the groaning and growling of a walker. Looking down she saw the dead and walking form of Randall just below her. He crept closer and at his loud growl she looked to see Glen diving out of the way as a bolt flew past, missing walker Randall by inches. The walker pinned Daryl against the tree and she didn't hesitate. She let go of the rope, crying out at the ripping pain as her body swung back. She pushed off against the tree and swung forward, reaching out and grabbing onto Randalls head, dragging him backwards to bash his head against the tree she was swinging towards. He went down and she sobbed at the pain coursing through her. "Is that Payne?!" Glen near shouted. With a groan she lifted, pulling herself up by her thigh until she could reach the rope. Feeling her belt, she growled in annoyance. Her knife was gone. "Give me a knife." She said and released one hand to reach out for the offered blade from Daryl. Sweeping it up, she cut the rope and braced for the impact against earth. The whooshing came but the 'oomph' never happened. She had squeezed her eyes shut to prepare for the jolt but as arms caught her falling form she opened them. "Whacha doin hangin around?" He asked with a laugh but that laugh died in his throat as he shined at light towards her face. She squinted against the bright light and hissed as her feet hit the ground. "What is that?" The light swept down towards her leg and she felt Daryl tense. "A bear trap. Looks like its been out here for a while. The fuck you doin with a leg in a bear trap?" Daryl growled out. "That fuck nut Shane backed me into it. I'm gunna kill him." She growled and set her hands on the release lever at the side of the trap. Even as she strained it wouldn't open. Daryl slapped her hands away and stomped down on the lever. She screamed as the jaws clamped tighter before falling open. "He do that to your face?" Daryl asked and she frowned. "Come on. Let's get ya back to Hershel." Daryl pulled her arm over his shoulder and she swore as Glen accidentally kicked her boot as he turned. "That walker...I think it's Randall." Glen said. Daryl pulled her over towards the walker. She knew it was Randall but as she looked him over she frowned. She couldn't see a bite or scratch. No blood in the shape of a bite, no torn clothes from grabbing hands. Just a broken neck. "He's got no bites." Glen said. "Yeah, none you can see." Daryl said as he handed her over to Glen for support. He crouched down, shining the light over Randalls form. "No, I'm tellin ya, he died from this." Daryl motioned towards the twisted skin of Randalls neck and she grimaced. She had a scar that looked kinda like that. "How's that possible?" Glen asked. They looked towards each other before Daryl stood and took her arm back over his own shoulder, pulling her limping weight. Even though she hurt everywhere, Daryls hand on her waist made her tingle in a very good way. His solid and muscled form hugged to her side. She should get hurt more often.


	20. Chapter 20

*Disclaimer! I do not own the walking dead. Just my OC.*

Could be from blood loss, could be from hanging upside down for an hour or two, could be because her head hurt REALLY bad. But she felt dizzy and pukish...is pukish a thing?...is tonight! Daryl had half carried her weak and hobbling form, Glen had been nice enough to grab her bow but her knife was long gone. She wouldn't lie, she was slightly (not so slightly) enjoying her time pressed against Daryl. If only her eye wasn't nearly swollen shut, her lips didn't feel like they had been cleaved in two, her leg didn't feel like it got in an accident with a chain saw, and her vision wasn't swaying so much that it made her feel sea sick. She couldn't do boats. Made her puke every single time. She could feel the bile rising in her throat and fought it down. If she had any hope of one day getting into Daryls pants, it wouldn't be by puking on them. Oh god the world was spinning again. She groaned and took a deep breath in through her nose, slowly pushing it out through her mouth and swallowed thickly. Hershels home came into view...atleast...it kinda looked like Hershels home...maybe...through her vision the white of the house blurred until all it seemed was a large white blob. "Almost there." Glen said as he adjusted her bow over his shoulder. Almost there her ass. She couldn't even see straight but she could tell they still had to cross an entire fucking field just to get to the front yard. She groaned again and hobbled her best until they were walking through Hershels front door. The bright lights inside burned at her eyes and she hissed. "Rick and Shane ain't back?" Daryl asked. "No. What happened to her?" Lori asked as she was slowly set on a nearby couch. "Got her leg caught in a bear trap. We heard a shot out there." Daryl said. Maybe she was losing too much blood because he sounded sexier and sexier. Looked it too...from what she could make out... "Maybe they found Randall." "Nah, we found him." Daryl answered. "Is he back in the shed?" Maggie asked. "He's a walker." Daryl said. "Was." She corrected, Daryl shifted to look over at her as her head lolled back. "Did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked as he moved forward to poke his fingers against her tender skin. She hissed in pain and squeezed her eyes shut. "No, weird thing is he wasn't bit." Glen. "His neck was broke." Wet dream. "So he fought back." Patricia. "Thing is, Shane and Randalls tracks are right on top of each other. And Shane ain't no tracker, so he didn't come up behind him. Naw, They were together." Daryl said and she laughed, wincing as the motion pulled sharply at her lips. "Yeah they were. That ass wipe. I saw em. Walkin along all chummy until Shane snapped his damn neck like a twig. If I'd pulled my damn bow just a little faster I'd have killed that fucker right then and there. Too bad for me I got some shitty luck. He saw me. Came to blows and I backed into a trap. Fucker hit me and left me hangin there. I swear to god I will kill him before this night is over." She seethed through clenched teeth as Hershel rolled up her pants leg to see the damage done by said trap. "Would you please get back out there, find Rick and find out what on earth is goin on?" Lori pleaded. "You got it." Daryl said and she attempted to stand only for Hershel to push her back down.

She watched Daryl walk back outside and felt uneasy. An ill feeling growing in her stomach that had nothing to do with her need to throwup. "It doesn't look broken. Maybe fractured, definitely bruised. I'm gunna need to stitch these closed and disinfect them. Those traps have been out there for years. No telling what kind of infection you could get from em." Hershel said and she nodded. With her favorite redneck no longer in the room, she felt no need to remain lucid, or even awake. She was just beginning to close her eyes when Glen came back into the room. "Guys. Walkers. A whole herd. In the field." Glen said. Well shit. People rushed past her to look outside and she shifted to stand, keeping her injured leg bent. "Where's Carl? Have you seen Carl?" She heard Lori and the woman frantically ran through the house. Hobbling over to the door, she paused, one good eyes opened wide as she looked out at the herd moving towards them. Had to be hundreds of them growling and stumbling their way forward towards the house. In front of her the group grabbed up a bag filled with guns and she looked towards her truck where all her weaponry was stashed. "Maggie." Glen said and she looked over to see Maggie handing Glen a rifle. "You grow up country, you pick up a thing or two." Maggie said. She snorted. If only that applied to cooking skills. "They got the numbers...it's no use." Daryl said. She reached over and pulled her bow from Glens shoulder, placing it over her own before reaching out for a hand gun. "You can go if you want." Hershel said. "You gunna take em all on?" Daryl asked. "We have guns. We have cars." Hershel shoved shells into her shotgun. "Kill as many as we can, and we'll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm." She still didn't like the Blondie Bitch. "Are you serious?" Daryl asked. "This is my farm. I'll die here." Hershel said before turned to pick a spot where he could defend from. "All right. It's as good a night as any." Daryl said before hopping over the railing. She nudged Maggie and nodded at her before hobbling towards her truck. Climbing inside, she closed the doors and locked them, opening the sun roof and pulling her stash of weapons into easy reaching distance. Grabbing a few extra mags for her pistol, she grabbed hers and shoved it into the waistband of her jeans before pulling herself to stand. She leaned against the roof of her truck and checked the magazine for ammo in the pistol she had been handed. Chambering a round, she looked out at the sudden increase in light. The barn had caught on fire. When the rumble of a motorcycle sounded, she looked over to see Daryl riding past her. The RV and other vehicles following close behind. They began driving close to the fence line, taking out walkers as they went. She cringed in disgust as the blue pick up ran over a walker and blood and entrails covered its hood. If they wanted to play zombie splat they should have said so. She dominated at that game. She took pot shots with the pistol until the fence line gave way. The RV had parked next to the burning barn and she could barely make out a fuzzy figure darting towards the tree line. She blinked her eyes quickly to clear her vision a bit more and noticed it was Carl. She looked behind him but saw only walkers. Swearing loudly, she dropped, groaning at the pain in her leg and started her truck.

She smashed her good foot against the gas and turned sharply, gunning it quickly towards Carl hoping she would make it in time. Rolling down her window and unlocking the doors, she shot towards the walkers that were closing in on the boy. When she was close enough she slammed on her brakes and slid in a semi circle, crushing walkers beneath her wheels. "Get in!" She shouted. Carl rushed towards her, yanking open the passenger door and jumping the pull himself in before slamming the door behind him and pressing the lock button. "Where's my dad?! Do you see him?! He was right behind me!" Carl started yelling and she looked around the field but didn't see Rick. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "I don't see him. But I'm sure he's fine. He's strong. Walkers don't stand a chance. Where would he go?" She asked as she pressed on the gas, darting forward to doze her way through the crowd of walkers. "H-He'd go...t-to the highway. Yeah. Where we left that stuff for Sophia. That's where he would go. What about my mom? Have you seen my mom?!" Carl had calmed a small bit but as his mother came to mind, his panic had returned. "She was at the house with the others and I'm positive I saw them leave a minute ago. So she's just fine. You'll see." She said as she squinted and blinked furiously to be able to see the driveway better. "Where's Demon?" She asked. "He was at the house." Carl said. She turned the truck sharply towards the house and she made a large circle around it, not spotting Demon anywhere. "There! He just followed someone into the woods! They were shooting a gun so they must be alive." She glanced over but didn't see anything and cursed. She couldn't lose Demon. He was all she had. She couldn't very well just abandon her truck and Carls safety to run after someone in the woods. "He's a good boy. He'll keep whoever it is safe. And we'll meet up at the highway...right?" She gave a weak, watery smile towards Carl. "That's right. That's right." He said and nodded his head. With shaky hands she turned the wheel and sped down the driveway, taking the small roads for miles in any direction until the sun began to rise.

Her eyes burned as the sun nearly blinded her while she drove. "Hey runt. Grab my sun glasses outta the glove box and a knife from the bag on the back seat." She said as she swerved around a car sitting in the middle of the road. "Whoa! So much stuff!" Carl shouted excitedly. He plopped back into his seat holding out a tactical knife. It would do the job, so she shoved it into her waistband and waited for Carl to hand over her sunglasses. While she drove the swelling in her eye had eased a small bit but it refused to stay focused. Unfortunately that meant she had one eye squinted and one wide open and she blinked rapidly and often. Not unlike a crazed Pirate. And with her leg nearly bitten off below the knee by that damn trap, she fit the image pretty well. Carl handed over her sunglasses and she placed them over her eyes as she made the final turn towards the highway. Judging from where they were, they could be at the spot for Sophia within an hour. "Can I have some jerky? I'm hungry." Carl said. "Yeah bud. There's water in the center console if you want it." She said and leaned back with a wince. "Thanks." He said as he opened a small bag of teriyaki tender bites. "Gimme a piece." She said and he held out a chunk of the tender meat. "Closer." She said and he reached the meat closer. When his hand was close enough so quickly bit into the meat and yanked it from the boys hand, tilting her head back and chewing roughly with her cheek full of meaty goodness. He laughed quietly before going silent and looking out the window. "It's gunna be alright. You'll see." She said.

*Daryl POV*

He watched as Paynes truck drove away from the house and down the drive way. She had been in rough shape before the shit hit the fan and he wasn't so sure she could see outta her left eye. He smirked as he saw the truck aiming intentionally towards every nearby walker, the spray of blood and limbs coating the thing. Bitch was crazy he'd give her that. When he'd first seen her swingin towards them while she was hangin from the tree, she looked like a bat outta hell. Covered in blood, bruises coverin her face, hair swingin wild. She had hurt herself more just trying to help out and that didn't weigh to well on him. As he thought about it, the unwelcome memory of her forced kiss on him came. It had been quick and he had froze before shoving her off of him. He had been ready to ask what the fuck she had been thinkin but she winked and ran with a smile on her face. Girl like that didn't need someone like him. She needed someone good and stable and that could give her a home. Take care of her. Not someone that was barely makin it. Whatever IT was nowadays. A scream broke through his thoughts and he turned to see Carol tiredly making her way along the fence line. Revving his engine, he turned and rode towards her, turning the bike around as he got close enough. "Come on! Ain't got all day." He called and Carol was quick to hop on behind him. "Let's go!" She screeched as walkers were reaching out for them. He didn't need to be told that as he drove faster along the gravel road.

As he drove he spotted the green thing that Glen and Maggie had been driving, nodding towards them and taking lead. Wasn't long after that he spotted the pickup slowing to turn onto the road. Maybe they'd be alright. The fact that he still hadn't seen Paynes truck made him uneasy. Woman had a way of gettin under your skin. He gripped the throttle tighter and sped up, the turn off for the highway comin up ahead. If she or Rick had gone anywhere, it'd be there. He was sure of it. Behind him Carol pressed her face against his back and he tensed. "I wonder who all made it." She said near his ear. He shrugged and wiped his ear against his shoulder. He leaned into the turn and drove, going around the abandoned cars and trucks, avoiding the occasional walker just for the pick up to ram it over.

It was only a couple miles and Carol held tighter to him the closer they came. Ahead he could see where they had left the supplies and he slowed to ride across the small ditch that acted as a separator. With his foot he pushed down the kickstand and shut off the bike, Carol climbing off and Rick striding forward to grab his hand. The other cars parked beside him and he lifted to stand back and look at who all they still had. Rick caught Lori in a hug and Maggie rushed over to her dad and Beth. "Where's Carl? Was he with you?" Lori asked Rick and he looked down. "He was with me. We got separated after the barn but I know I saw him get in a truck." Rick said. "That was Payne. I saw her out there. She left out. If she got him then he's fine." He said and hoped he wasn't wrong. "Where'd you find everyone?" Rick asked. "Saw tail lights zig zaggin all over the road. Figured he had to be asian, drivin like that." He said with a smirk. "Good one." Glen said with a small laugh. "Where's the rest of us?" He asked. "We're the only ones who made it so far." He shook his head slightly. Didn't make sense. He saw her drive out. She was ahead of him. She shoulda been here first. "Shane?" Lori asked. Of course that's who she was askin about. "Andrea?" Glen asked. "She saved me, then I lost her." Carol said. "We saw her go down." Said T. "Patricia?" Asked Hershel. "They got her too, took her right in front of me. I was...I was holdin onto her, daddy. She just...What about Jimmy? Did you see Jimmy?" Beth asked as Hershel rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "He was in the RV. It got overrun." Rick said. The girl turned her head to cry into her daddys shirt. "You definitely saw Andrea go down?" Carol asked. "There were walkers everywhere." He shook his head. That wasn't an answer. "Did you see her?" Carol pushed. "I'm goin back." He said and moved to grab onto his bike. "No." Rick said. He scoffed. "We can't just leave her." He said. "We don't even know if she's there." He looked over at Lori. Was she stupid? "She isn't there. She isn't. She's somewhere else or she's dead. There's no way to find her." Rick said. "So we're not even gunna look for her?" Glen asked. "We gotta keep movin. There have been walkers crawlin all over here." Rick said. "I say head East." T said. "Stay off the main roads. The bigger the road, the more walkers. More assholes like this one. I got him." He said as he spotted a walker heading towards them. Gripping his crossbow, he aimed and pulled the trigger, the bolt going into its eye and it dropped. Behind the walker he could see a blur of black coming towards them and he nodded. "There's Payne." He called as he walked backwards, not taking his eyes off the gore covered front end. "Does she have Carl? Can you see him?" Lori rushed out, her hand over her mouth and eyes wide as she waited for the truck to come closer. It parked on the other side of the highway and before Lori could move, the passenger door was flung open and out jumped Carl, chocolate smeared on his face with a bag of Jerky clenched in his fist while he ran. He stepped back to let the small family hug it out and looked over as the driver door opened. In the daylight she looked like shit. Limping towards them with jerking movements, still covered in blood and bruised to hell and back, her left eye black and blue with the same on her jaw. She looked ready to drop. He walked closer and grabbed onto her arm just as she went to fall. Wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her arm across his shoulders, he pulled her towards the center of the group. Slowly he set her down in front of Hershel and as he stood she was tackled. A sobbing Lori lay over her, huggin her tightly even as Payne groaned in pain. "The fuck? Get off her!" He said and pulled Lori back, bending to help Payne sit up even as she swatted at his hands. "Thank you. Thank you. I can't thank you enough. You saved him. My boy. Thank you." Lori cried as Rick pulled the woman towards his chest, hugging Carl to her side. "Thank you. For taking care of him." Rick said. "Safe and fed. And thoroughly hyper. You're welcome. He's all yours. I do not wanna be around for the sugar crash." Payne laughed out and he felt her wince as the movement. "Let me take a look at you." Hershel said and he stepped away to give them room. Or he meant to, but her hand was quick to grab onto his sleeve. "Where the fuck you think you're goin? If I gotta deal with gettin poked and prodded, somebody's gunna deal with having their hand crushed and I pick you." Payne said while she glared at him. "Quit bein such a damn baby. I ain't holdin your damn hand." He said and pulled away, noticing the smirk on her face which he returned with a shake of his head. Damn woman.  
*************************************************************************


	21. Chapter 21

* Disclaimer! I do not own the walking dead. Sadly...Just my OC...*

She bit harshly into a piece of Jerky that Carl offered as Hershel finished up the last stitch to her leg. She hated needles. She did NOT get to crush Daryls hand unfortunately. Instead her support came from her newest side kick, Carl. He offered Jerky as compensation as Hershel made sure her leg was wrapped tightly so she couldn't pull at the stitches, which she would probably do anyway later when he wasn't looking. Stitches ITCH. When he was done Hershel helped her to stand. "Well then, we got a plan to head out, stayin off the main roads. You can ride with us." Rick said and she blinked, tilting her head to the side. "No?" She said in confusion. She was not about to leave her truck behind. "We don't have the gas to keep the truck, I'm sorry." Rick said. She scoffed. "Don't worry about it. That beastie is a frankenstein. Part electric and I've got solar panels all along the roof and rails and extra already charged battery packs in the bed. So you'll run out before I ever do. I am NOT leavin my truck. That's like asking Daryl to leave his motorcycle. Don't see you doin that." She said and heard the scoff that came from her favorite redneck. She really wanted to be in her truck now. She may be keeping up appearances well but the shaking that was in her hands was not from blood loss as Hershel might believe. "Hey mom, dad? Can I ride with Payne?" Carl asked. She smiled over at him and inwardly grimaced. She couldn't very well have a break down with the kid around her. Rick and Lori both looked over at her and she smiled. "Not this time Carl. Your mom and I, we were real worried when we couldn't find you. We want some time with you. Maybe the next time we stop." Rick said. Thank god. Carl sighed from his spot beside Lori. "Ok." He said and Lori guided him to the vehicle they would be riding in. Hershel helped her towards her truck and she slowly pulled herself into the driver seat. "Ya'll need anything to eat?" She asked loudly. She saw a few heads pop up looking in her direction. Reaching behind her seat, she pulled out a handful of bags of jerky, putting them in Hershels hands and dug some more for a box of ranch flavored wheat crackers. "Give those to Lori. Jerky for everybody. Breakfast of champions." She said as she unwrapped a sucker and popped it into her mouth, moving the stick around with her tongue. "Thank you." Hershel said and she nodded, closing the door as he walked to hand out the bags. Looking in her rear view mirror she grimaced. Her top and bottom lip had a straight line through them. No wonder she had tasted blood. Her eye was completely blood shot, as in it looked like her eye was bleeding. She'd had worse but it was still uncomfortable to look at. The bruising covered her cheek bone and over her temple, into her hair. Her face was covered in dried blood, so were her shirt and pants. Pulling her jacket and long sleeve off, she winced against the motion and began to unbutton her pants. Reaching over into her pack, she pulled out a pair of leggings and another jacket. Looking around to make sure nobody was looking her way, she took off her boots and shimmied out of her jeans. Under her seat sat a pack of cucumber green tea baby wipes and she used them to wipe her legs face and arms clean before pulling on the leggings, carefully pulling the legging up to the thigh of her injured leg. With her leg exposed she might as well actually put on her knee brace. She pulled the black wrap over her knee and grabbed a thigh holster for her knife, strapping it into place. Looking down, she ran her hand over the tattoo trailing down the side of her leg. Black and grey rose vines that started at her hip and ended mid calf. Pulling on her jacket was last before she noticed vehicles starting up. She would just have to drive barefoot and with the wrong foot but she was fine with that. Pulling her hair into a quick pony tail, she started her truck and turned on her ipod to her playlist, pulling a set of headphones into her ears. Daryl passed her first with Carol sitting behind him on the bike. Lucky woman. Carol actually winked with a small smile. Oooooooh that sneaky bitch. She laughed and flipped up her middle finger for the woman to see. Next went the green Hybrid with Glen and the Greenes, and then the red and white truck with T-dog and the Grimes family. She looked over at the pickup they would be leaving behind sadly before turning her truck to follow at the rear.

As she drove she looked out into the woods, hoping for even a brief glimpse of her beloved Demon. As she looked, the tears came, her breath caught in her chest and she struggled to pull in a full breath. Her lips trembled and she pressed her knuckles against her mouth. Even with the aggressive beat pounding through her headphones she didn't think she could stop the whimpers that threatened to escape her. She didn't hear the honk but she saw the truck in front of her begin to slow down and so did she, wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. She would see her bubby boy again. She would. She slipped the headphones from her ears and cut off the truck and ipod, watching for what they would do. When she saw them getting out of their vehicles she opened her door and slid out, pulling on her boots and walking forward with a limp to stand by Carol as she leaned against the guard rail. "You out?" Daryl asked aloud. "Runnin on fumes." Rick said. "We can't stay here." Maggie said. "Well we can't all fit in one car." She eyed Glen but said nothing. She was perfectly fine with riding alone. "We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning." Rick said as he shifted his feet back and forth. "Spend the night here?" Carol asked. "I'm freezing." Carl said. "We'll build a fire, yeah?" Lori said as she rubbed her hand quickly over Carl to try to provide him some warmth. "You go lookin for firewood, stay close. Only got so many arrows. How you doin on ammo?" Daryl asked. "Not enough." Rick said as he passed his jacket to Carl and walked by. She would admit that she was cold. But not COLD cold. Not yet. It would come though. "We can't just sit here with our asses hangin out." Maggie said and she coughed trying to hide a laugh as Hershel scolded her. "Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick." Hershel said. She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and leaned more on the guard rail. "All right, we'll set up a perimeter. In the morning we'll find gas and some supplies. We'll keep pushin on." Rick said. "Glen and I can go make a run now, try and scrounge up some gas." Maggie offered but was shot down. "No, we stay together. God forbid somethin happens and people get stranded without a car." Rick said and turned to look down the road. "Rick, we're stranded now." Glen said. He kinda had a point. "I know it looks bad, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other. I wasn't sure...I really wasn't...but we did. We're together. We keep it that way. We'll find shelter somewhere. There's gotta be a place." Rick said. She nodded. It was a good speech, it really was, but without much to back it, she could see the doubt on others faces. "Rick, look around. Okay? There's walkers everywhere. They're migrating or something." Glen said and she also nodded. Why did everybody have to make sense? It's really hard to back someone when everybody else also has valid points. Time to step up your game Rick. "There's gotta be a place, not just where we hole up, but that we fortify, hunker down, pull ourselves together, build a LIFE for each other. I know it's out there. We just have to find it." Ok, she liked Rick but the way he waved his gun around and punctuated each word with a jab of it towards the ground, kinda made her nervous. "Even if we do find a place and we think it's safe, we can never be sure. For how long? Look what happened with the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinkin that that was safe." She looked over and Maggie and then towards the ground. "We won't make that mistake again." Hershel said. There was a pause and she shuffled her feet. "We'll make camp tonight over there, get on the road at the break of day." Rick said as he motioned towards the crumbling remains of what she thought used to be a church or house. "Does this feel right to you?" Carol said, looking back and forth between her and Daryl. "What if walker come through or another group like Randalls?" Beth asked as she walked up to Rick. "You knew we found Randall, right? He had turned but he wasn bit." Daryl said. "How's that possible?" "Rick, what the hell happened?" Lori asked. "Shane killed Randall. Just like he always wanted to. Payne saw em and he beat her, left her hangin from a tree in a trap." Daryl said. She scrunched her nose and clenched her fists tightly. "And then the herd got him?" Lori asked. She looked up and tilted her head. "We're all infected." Rick said after a moment. She stared at him and frowned. "What?" Daryl asked. "At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, we all carry it." Rick said. She watched Daryl as he walked in a slow circle, shaking his head at the ground. "And you never said anything?" Carol asked. "Would it have made a difference?" Rick asked and she shook her head. Bad answer Rick. "You knew this whole time?" Glen asked. "How could I have known for sure? You saw how crazy that mot-" "That is not your call. Okay, when I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told. For the good of everyone." Glen said. "Well I thought it best that people didn't know." Rick said. The hard set of his face dared anyone to say something about his decision and she scoffed. Limping back to her truck, she pulled down the tail gate and reached for a tote, opening it and pulling out blankets before closing it and putting the tale gate back up. With blankets in her arms, she limped over to Carl and draped one of her fuzzier ones over his shoulders. "You hungry?" She asked. "No. Thank you. Just cold." He said and wrapped himself up in the blanket. She smiled and ruffled his hair before handing a blanket to T-dog and Hershel, then walked over to give one to Carol and Glen, figuring he would share with Maggie. She held on to the last two. One for Daryl and one for herself.

They had a fire goin, keepin the flame low while Daryl brought back small branches for fire wood. She sat in a corner further away from the group, watching them. Carol was talking to Daryl. She caught bits and pieces of what she said but turned away to stare at the fire. Her blanket laid over her legs and she huddled in her jacket. When the sound of a something moving about came from the woods, she looked over. Standing and running her fingers over the knife at her thigh. "What was that?" Glen asked. "Could be anything. Could be a raccoon, could be a possum." "Walker." Glen finished. "We need to leave. I mean what are we waitin for?" Carol said, her voice rising in fear. "Which way?" Glen asked. "It came from over there." "Back from where we came." "Yeah." She glanced over at Maggie and Beth before looking back out into the dark woods. She didn't like it. She had avoided a panic attack by just staring into the fire, nothing looking out into the darkness. But with something moving, she was forced to and she could feel her heart beginning to race. "The last thing we need is for everyone to be runnin off in the dark. We don't have the vehicles. No one's travelin on foot." Rick said as he came back into the small clearing. "Don't panic." Hershel said as the sound of something coming closer came. "I'm not...I'm not sittin here waitin for another herd to blow through. We need to move. Now." Maggie said. "No one is goin anywhere." Rick said. "Do something." Carol said. She scoffed. What did she expect Rick to do? Single handedly kill every walker in the state of Georgia? It'd be nice but she didn't see that happening. Rick is just one man. Not a god. "I am doin somethin! I'm keepin this group together, alive. I been doin that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people for Christ's sake! You saw what he was like, how he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back. He nearly killed Payne. He gave me no CHOICE. He was my friend, but he came after me. My hands are clean." Rick stopped to stare out at each of them and she stared back. "Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead. I say there's a place for us but maybe...maybe it's just another pipe dream. Maybe.. Maybe I'm foolin myself again. Why don't you...Why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a post card. Go on. There's the door. You can do better? Let's see how far you get." Rick said. If he pointed that gun at her or Daryl again, even just motioning with it, she was goin to flip her shit all in his face. Daryl looked back at her and she looked at him briefly before going back to staring at Rick. "No takers? Fine, but get one thing straight. You're stayin, this isn't a democracy anymore." She scrunched her face and spit at the ground before dropping to sit, propping her arm on her bent knee and staring into the fire. If there was anything that could calm down a panic attack, it was anger. And she was angry. At Rick, at Carol, at Glen and Maggie, at the whole damn situation. She could see that the pressure of having to keep everyone safe was weighing down hard on Rick and he was buckling. After things calmed a bit, she saw Daryl set his pack a few feet away from her along the wall. Grabbing the blanket she had grabbed for him, she threw it to land on the pack and he looked over at her. He nodded after a minute and settled down. It was gunna be a long night.

"I want Daryl, Payne and Glen to go into town. Check for food, ammo. Anything useful." Rick said. It had been a few months since his little pow-wow and true to his word, he became the Ricktator. On cold or wet nights that they couldn't risk a fire they slept in the vehicles, huddled together for warmth with the extra blankets she had given out. Well, they huddled. Carol stayed in the truck with Lori and Daryl slept in her passenger seat. She would huddle. She wanted to. But the closest she came to huddling or cuddling was when Daryl would fling his arm out in his sleep and it happened to land on her side or, on occasion, on her boobs or stomach. The mornings when he woke up realizing what he had done were priceless. A couple times she swore she felt him squeeze them a bit. It made her crazy. It was like being a teenager all over again. She was sex crazed and only for him. He could grab all he wanted and she wouldn't mind a bit. He had grown just a bit closer to her and she was happy to make him blush on a regular basis. She hadn't stolen another kiss but she wanted to. Dear god, she wanted to. She had drifted into her thoughts as she stared at Daryls ass. A nudge to her side brought her back to earth and she nodded. Carol giggled and she smiled before grabbing her bow from her truck and walking to stand between the two men. Her leg had healed well enough and she was happy to be able to walk and run normally again. "Alright. Come on." Daryl said and she followed after him with Glen close behind. The first stop was a small gas station close by. The door was wide open and shelves knocked over. She had little to no hope of finding anything useful there. Going inside, she pulled her knife and crouched to look under the shelves, searching for anything. Best she found was a pack of gum and some tums which she stuffed into her pack for Lori. Daryl went behind the counter not doing any better at finding anything than she did. Glen searched through the coolers and came back gagging with a lingering smell of rotten milk. In his hands were a few bottles of water. At least someone found something. Leaving the building, they crossed the street quickly, Daryl taking point with his crossbow raised. There were a few walkers, they wouldn't bother them though as long as they didn't get motivated. Daryl stopped by the door to a small general store. The door was still locked but that didn't mean anything nowadays. The window beside it had been smashed in. Daryl knocked against the wood of the door and waited but they heard nothing on the other side. He looked back at her and she nodded before quietly making her way over the shattered glass and through the window. Unlocking the door quickly, she looked over the room. The shelves still stood and was were free of anything bloody which was a good sign that there weren't any walkers unless they were closed off somewhere. She scanned the shelves, shoving whatever she found into her bag. Small things like a can of tuna that had fallen to the floor. A pack of crackers. A package of fig bars. A box of frosted flakes. Divide it up and it was more than they had eaten in days. She saw Daryl pocket something before he turned and walked towards a doorway at the back. She moved to follow him but paused as she saw a few small yellow packages laying on the floor. Picking one up she read the label. Enfamil ready to go formula. She grabbed up every little pack she could find and put them in her pack. She was always grabbing things for Itty Bitty, storing them all in a tote in the bed of her truck. Lori's due date was still a couple months away but it was better to start gathering things now than last minute. After clearing the building they moved onto the next. A pharmacy. It was about the same. Cleared of any useful medicine. While Daryl and Glen searched through the shelves she hoped over the counter to look through the cabinets. Some were smashed in and the contents tossed about but it didn't matter. On the floor she found a powder filled bottle for an oral solution. Azithromycin. She stuffed it into her bag and kept looking. A lot of people wouldn't know what to do with the powders but she could mix the solution and they would be set on antibiotics. Searching through a stack of empty boxes, she came to one that held the opened packages and bottles for pain killers. She sighed but tipped over the box anyway. What she did not expect was a full pack of them to still be sealed at the bottom of the box. She grinned and stuffed them in her pack. In the corner of her eye she saw a door slowly open. Gripping her knife, she turned in a half crouch and waited only for the end of Daryls crossbow to poke through. She laughed lightly and stood, giving a small wave once Daryl fully noticed her. He nodded his head in the direction of the door and she nodded, following after him. They left down the street when she paused in front of a small book store. In the store display was a familiar image on a small paperback novel. She remembered that one. The main male character looked a lot like Daryl now that she thought about it. She scrunched her nose. The character also acted a lot like Daryl. She would know. She wrote the damn thing. She whistled and held up a finger to halt the men before they left her. They walked back towards her and she quickly looked through the doorway and entered, going to the display and snatching the book from its propped position and shoving it into her pack. Daryl eyed her with a frown and she scoffed. Looking around for other books she remembered, she shoved them into her bag and then walked easily over to the counter where she slid over it and opened a small cabinet to find a stash of chips and cookies. Grabbing a plastic bag from a stack, she filled the bag and stood with her haul and a grin on her face. She knew very well that most people that worked in book stores had a stash of junk food for when the store was empty. She always did.

The rest of the town went much the same before they were heading back towards the group. They were holed up in a house about a mile from town. It would be relative safety for a night. Rick never let them stay long and nether did the walkers. They seemed to be circling which made no sense at all but then again, they're dead people that can walk soooo...yeah. With the sun beginning to set she was happy to be back indoors. "Find anything?" Rick asked as they walked up the steps to the small porch. "Food for tonight." She said and walked inside, setting the bag on a table and pulling the food from her pack. Lori came closer to look over the haul, a noticeable bump beginning under the womans shirt. "Time to check on Itty Bitty again." She said and Lori nodded. Lori had been very distant and quiet every since that night Rick took the throne. Setting her pack down, she jogged out to her truck and grabbed her journal, measuring tape, and doppler. Going back inside, she saw Lori sitting in a corner. "Alright. Lets do this. Lay down." She said and sat on her knees while Lori laid back and lifted her shirt. Using her measuring tape, she pressed one end just above her pubic bone and ran the tape over the bump until just under the womans ribs. She quickly wrote down the measurement in the journal with a guess for gestational age. Grabbing the doppler, she smeared a small amount of KY over the end and pressed it against Loris lower abdomen. She moved it back and forth until she heard a strong beat. She smiled and counted for a minute before writing down the heartbeat rate. "Its a bit fast and at the gestation, the sex is fully formed. I'd say its a girl if I had to guess based on heartbeats. Girls hearts always beat faster. But I could be wrong. Could just have a very excited little boy in there. But my money is on a girl." She said with a wink. Lori gave a small smile as she wiped the womans belly clean with a baby wipe and tugged her shirt down. "Thank you." Lori said and she took ahold of the womans arm and pulled her to sit up. "Still taking the prenatals? Do you need more? Just say when." She said. Lori shook her head. "Take em every day. And I still have a full bottle from the last time you got them for me." Lori said. She smiled and walked over to her pack, pulling out the bottle of tums and walking back beside her. "Found these for you. Figure the heart burn will start up soon." She said and handed over the bottle. "Thank you." Lori said and gave her a small hug. "No problem. Anything for my Itty Bitty." She said and smoothed a hand over the womans belly. "Do you want kids?" Lori asked. "Yeah...I do...but I seriously doubt my fingers are gunna knock me up any time soon." She said with a grin and laughed at the choking sound that came from behind her. Turning she saw Daryl coughing into his hand with a bottle of water in the other and the tips of his ears going red. "Unless you're volunteering." She said and winked at him. He was up and walking out the door in record time and she laughed, Lori joining in. "You really like him don't you?" Lori asked. "You kidding? He's a walking wet dream. And a big softie. Rough around the edges and that fits me perfectly. He's a good guy. Just doesn't know how to show it. So...yeah... I really like him. Probably love him." She said and looked towards the floor. No probably about it. She knew she did. Lori shook her head. "Hey, you fell in love with Sheriff Roscoe over there, can't blame me for goin for the younger Duke brother." She said. "Dukes of Hazard? Really? Who's Daisy?" Lori asked and she laughed. "That'd be Maggie." Lori made a small noise as she held her hand over her mouth, her shoulders hunching as she tried to hold in her laughter. She patted Lori on the back and went to retrieve her pack, pulling out the book that reminded her of Daryl and settling on the couch to begin reading. She didn't know when but after flipping the page for the next chapter, her finger was stopped by Carol who was craning her neck to read the last passage. "It's getting good." Carol said and moved her hand away as she flipped the page. "How long have you been there?" She asked, laying her head back to look up at the woman. "Long enough to know that mister Chris Wimberly will be in my dreams tonight...kinda reminds me of Daryl though." Carol said. "Hey, back off. Dixon is mine." She said and stuck out her tongue. "I know sweetie, I know. Just like to tease you a bit." Carol said and settled back on her elbows on the back of the couch to read over her shoulder. "Here, you can read it." She said and handed the book over before walking to the table that held the food, ruffling Carls hair as she picked up the pack of fig bars and a pack of crackers. Walking out onto the porch, she sat down on the steps beside Daryl and tossed the crackers into his lap. "Didn't know if you'd want the figs or not." She said. "You need to quit sayin shit like ya did." He ground out. "Aw come on. A girl can dream." She said with a smile and he scoffed, shoving her to the side. She laughed. "Found this for ya." He said. She looked down to see him holding out a kit kat bar and she looked around quickly. Carl was a candy thief. She grabbed it, opening the package and breaking off one of the pieces. Biting it in half she moaned in bliss. Her stash of candy had run out weeks ago and had been going through slight withdrawals without having any. "Dear god. I love you Daryl Dixon." She said before eating the other half and moaning again. He stiffened beside her. "Don't say shit like that either!" He said gruffly and moved to stand. While he turned she stood, waiting for him to step onto the stairs. As he did she stepped up to him and grabbed his shirt, pulling herself forward to press her lips against his. He jerked back and opened his mouth to shout at her no doubt. Stepping forward, she pressed against him again, running her tongue over his bottom lip and kissing him before pulling back to stare at his mouth as he backed away angrily. "I meant what I said Daryl Dixon. You don't have to do anythin with it. Just felt like lettin you know." She said and turned, walking into the house and grabbing her pack to find a spot away from the others to settle down for the night.


	22. Chapter 22

*Disclaimer! I do not own any part of the walking dead. Just my OC*

When the snow hit the ground it was officially winter. It hardly ever snowed in the south but it was going strong this year. They hadn't managed to find a house for the night so vehicles were the go to for shelter. They packed together like sardines and she was happy for it. Since she had told Daryl how she felt he had been avoiding her. Now though, with the other vehicles full up, he climbed into her passenger seat after securing his motorcycle in the bed of her truck. She was already seated and wrapped in her favorite blanket with a pillow behind her head and a box of baby snacks in her hands. "That all we got ta eat?" He asked as he closed the door and settled back against the seat. She looked over at him and felt around under her blanket for a can she had warmed earlier by the heat of her engine. Grabbing it with a rag, she handed over the can. A warmed can of SPAM wasn't much but it was better than nothing. She could've eaten it herself and left him with the baby snacks but she wouldn't have felt right about doing that. Taking the can, he popped open the top, tossing the top into the plastic garbage bag she kept in the floor board. He looked over at her through the corner of his eyes and then looked back towards his meal. He seemed to hesitate while looking at the gelatinous meat. "How they taste?" He asked. She looked down at the box in her lap and scrunched her nose. "Like fake banana flavored rice crackers. So not horrible." She shrugged and bit into the next wafer like snack. She turned when she heard the sound of him drawing his knife. As she watched, he cut a long piece off from the block of meat and pried it out of the can, handing it towards her. "Trade ya." He said. She chuckled and grabbed an unopened pack from the box, handing it to him and taking the offered meat. "Can't take it back once you find out they taste like shit." She said and took a large bite out of the meat. He opened the pack and sniffed at the two white rice wafers before taking a bite out of both at once. Shoving the rest of the meat into her mouth, she chewed quickly and swallowed before he had a chance to change his mind. "I warned you." She said and bit into another wafer. "Better than nothin." He said and she nodded slightly while grabbing a bottle from her center console. The only water bottle she had. She took a drink from the water and passed it to him. Even though he didn't return her feelings, she didn't want him to go hungry or thirsty. If that meant having to live off of the one box in her hand for the next couple days so that he could eat the two cans of spaghetti O's and meatballs, then she would. They didn't have to worry about water as long as they had snow, which was a blessing. Maybe once the sun comes up she and Daryl could try to hunt. The pickings were slim if there were any at all but if there was a chance, she wanted to take it. She didn't like having to look at Daryl and know he was hungry. Or Carl, or Lori, or anybody else. Closing the box, she placed it in the floor board of the back seat and leaned her seat back. Covering her eyes with the edge of the blanket, she rolled onto her side to get comfortable, pulling her knees up against her chest. "Got another one?" She peeked out from under her blanket to look at him. He was staring down at the empty can in his hands. She knew his was wet. He had used it to cover himself for as long as possible on his motorcycle. "Nope." She said. He put the empty can in the garbage bag and put it in the back seat before reclining his seat and covering his eyes with his arm. Wiggling the blanket out from under her, she tossed half of it over him. Thankfully it was a very large blanket, easily covering them both with extra on either side. "Thanks." He said. "Go to sleep Dixon." She yawned out and tugged her pillow down to hug part of it against her chest.

She woke with a start, sweat beading on her forehead and breathing labored, heart pounding fast and heavily. Remnants of her dream still clung to her vision. The sound of gun shots and barking dogs still echoing in her ears. The pain of tightly wrapped rope around her wrists, the dizziness that swept over her even as she ran. Laughing coming closer towards her, beams of light shooting out to find her in the dark. The burning pain that shot through her, sending her crashing to the ground. She shook her head trying to rid herself of the vivid memory. Her chest ached horribly. Gripping her shirt, she pressed the heel of her palm against the aching pain and grit her teeth. Sitting up fully, she looked over, making sure that she hadn't woken him. As his chest remained in the calm rhythm of sleep she sighed in relief. Leaning her head against the steering wheel, she rubbed her chest in slow circles, hoping the pain would ease. Looking up through the windshield, she saw the sky just beginning to change with the rising sun. Pulling on her thickest jacket, a green beanie and her boots, she then grabbed her bow and arrows before quietly opening the door and slipping out, closing it behind her. She shivered at the cold wind that seemed to blow right through her. She hated being cold. Grabbing a bandana from her pocket, she tied it around her face, effectively covered her nose and mouth from the biting wind. She took one last look back to make sure he was still tucked comfortably and safely under her blanket before walking into the woods, eyes scanning over the ground for any traces of game.

She trudged through the layer of snow trying to be quiet but failing miserably. She had managed to shoot down a few crows and squirrels but she was hoping for better. Any edible plant she came across she shoved into her pockets. As she was looking down at a patch of wild onion, she saw the small prints of an animal. Still fresh. Maybe a fox or Coyote. Or even a dog...She frowned and narrowed her eyes, following the track towards a clearing in the trees. She paused behind a tree, bow drawn as she spotted her prey. A single red furred fox digging through the snow. Releasing her arrow, she cringed as her arrow went above the creature. Looking down at her fingers, her fingertips were red, fading into a purplish blue. She would need a pair of gloves. Looking back towards the creature, she was suprised to see it still there staring at her. She notched another arrow and aimed, the creature still not moving. Obviously some animals were just dumb. Releasing her arrow, it sank into the creatures neck with a THUNK. Down it went and she was quick to jog towards it, yanking her arrow free and slitting the foxs throat. If it was still alive she didn't want it to suffer. It's blood flooded out into the snow with a trail of steam that rapidly diminished. Quickly she gutted it, leaving the entrails behind as food for other animals, and slinging the carcass over her shoulder before walking back towards the vehicles. Someone else could skin and pluck and butcher and cook. She was tired and cold and hungry. In all honesty, she had been splitting her ration four ways. Taking the smallest portion for herself and still giving part of it to Carl and Lori and sharing with Daryl. The lack of food she actually ate was probably what left her so tired. Why had she walked so far away from the vehicles again? Every passing minute the fox on her shoulder became heavier and heavier.

*Daryl POV*

Grunting and shifting near him woke him up. Slowly he opened one eye and looked over at Payne. Her face pinched as her breath came out ragged. A muffled pained yelp sounded and she shot up on her elbows. Payne gripped her shirt tightly over her chest, her teeth clenched as she shook her head. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing as he felt her eyes on him. She had been looking paler and paler for the past couple days, he had seen her eating on the packs of rice crackers for atleast two of those days. He felt her moving around in her seat and cracked open his eye to see her pulling on her boots. She grabbed her bow and arrow and slipped outside, blocking the cold wind with her body and closing the door. He watched as she shivered and tied a cloth around her face, adjusting his arm to cover his eyes as she looked back towards him again. Once she walked out into the woods he grabbed the box she had been eating from and checked how many she had left. Four packs left, she gave him one, the box only started with twelve. She had maybe eaten three or four in a day...was that all she ate? He tried to think about what she had been given from the stash. He thought he remembered Rick giving her a can for breakfast and one for dinner...so what had she done with em? Tossing her blanket into the backseat, he searched through the garbage back for extra empty cans but saw only his. She had been eating her portions...right?...Son of a bitch...He pulled on the jacket he had taken off some time during the night and grabbd his crossbow, getting out and slamming the door shut behind him. He could see Rick waking up and scratching at his beard as he walked closer. Rick looked at him through the window and was quick to step outside. "What's wrong?" Rick asked. "Nothin. Just wonderin what Payne got yesterday for food." He said. Rick scratched at his beard again in thought. "A can of Viennas and a can of SPAM I think." He frowned. "What did you give her to give to me?" He asked. "Hmmm. You're dinner portion was a can of tuna I think. You had your crackers yesterday mornin right?" Rick asked. He swore. Yesterday morning he had crackers and Viennas. "The stupid bitch has been givin away her food." He growled out and bit on his thumb nail as he looked out into the woods. "Whats she been eatin?" Rick asked. "A box of baby crackers." Rick frowned. "That was her dinner two days ago." Rick said. "Where is she?" "She went out into the woods. Could be doin her business so I ain't walkin out yet." He said. "Let me know when she gets back." Rick said and moved to the hood of the car where he wiped away the snow to lay down his map. He grunted and paced back towards the truck.

He was sitting in her truck eating his breakfast of stale Honeycombs cereal an hour later when Rick walked up to the door. He opened it, not taking his eyes off the tree line. "Nothin yet?" Rick asked. "Dumb question. If I'd seen her you think I'd be sittin here?" He scoffed. "I want you to go out and try to find her." Rick said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he had shoved the bag of cereal under his seat and gripped his crossbow, jumping out and slamming the door closed. With quick steps, he found her trail and followed it into the woods. Every so often her trail would veer off to a larger depression in the snow. By the looks of it, she was out huntin. They could use the meat, it was true, but if she had been skipping meals, if something happened, she wouldn't have the energy to really fight back. Her trail paused by a tree, the steps muddled together like she had stood and shifted from her feet before going forward. Looking out, he could see the small splotch of red on the snow. Judging by the pile of guts beside it, she had bagged a decent kill. He grew less and less worried as he began to follow her trail back towards the vehicles. As he followed, his worry was rising again. Her footsteps were growing heavier, not liftin as much as they were before. She was gettin tired fast and he had already been out lookin for close to an hour. He walked faster, the trail of dripping blood from her kill not frozen yet meanin she wasn't that far ahead. He paused seeing her leaning against a tree. Her shoulders heaved and her body shivered, the dripping blood running down her jacket and pants leg. Seeing her there he grew angry. She gave him her food. He didn't need to be looked after. He didn't need or want someone taking care of him. He was supposed to take care of HER. That's the way it's supposed to be. He didn't need to be pampered with extra food, and he wouldn't. "The hell you think your doin? Goin off on your own, givin away your food?! You got any brain left in that skull a yours?! What kinda dumb shit you tryin ta pull?!" He shouted as he stomped towards her. She straightened and turned towards him and he paused again. Her eyes were half lidded and empty, the hand holding onto the animals feet drew his attention as the fingertips were turning blue. "Shit." He muttered and slung his crossbow over his shoulder before going forward grab her arm, hauling it across his shoulders and wrapping an arm around her waist. He hadn't noticed just how bad she was shivering. He could hear her teeth chattering together. "J-Just wwantted t-to m-make ssure you g-guyss got ennnough ta eatt." He looked over at her as her head fell forward. Jostling her awake, he gripped tighter around her waist. "Wake up. You ain't goin ta sleep out here. Rick still wants to chew your ass out for bein a dumbass." He said and stepped faster as he could see the vehicles through the trees.

He burst through the tree line mostly carrying her weight. "What happened?" Rick asked as he came running towards them. "Nothin. She's fine. Just cold and hungry. Get someone to cook up what she killed. She's gunna need it." He said pushing the fox off her shoulder and taking the string of animals off her belt. "Hey get Hershel." He called out as he saw Glen climbing out of the hybrid. Without the weight of the animals, he bent down, sweeping his arms under her back and legs to carry her towards her truck. He set her legs down to open the passenger door and paused. He could feel the wetness of her jacket and pants against his hand. Wet clothes wouldn't help to warm her up. He frowned and without putting much thought into it, he began to strip her. The blood covered jacket, the long sleeved shirt that her jacket hadn't protected, the blood drenched pants and the pair of leggings beneath them, until she was left in a black tank top and underwear. Shrugging out of his own jacket, he tossed it onto the back seat and picked her up, climbing into the passenger seat and settling her on his lap. He slammed the door shut and grabbed her blanket, wrapping them both in the large and heavy blanket while rubbing his hands over her arms and caging her hands against his shirt. She still shivered in his lap and her head burrowed against his neck. The door opened slowly and he glanced towards Hershel. "Her fingers." He said and pulled her hands out from under the covers. Hershel looked over each one with a frown. "A bit of frost bite. Not too bad. You're doin right. Just warm her up slowly. When she wakes up, make sure she drinks some water." He nodded and looked down at her jacket. He scrunched his brows in confusion at the bits of green hanging out of her pockets. "The hell is that?" He asked aloud. Hershel bent down, picking up the jacket and pulling the greenery from her pockets. "Wild Onion. Wild Garlic. Chickweed. Some pine needles." Hershel smirked down at his hands full of grasses. "You can eat all of em. Can use the wild onion and garlic with the game she killed, the chickweed will be something light on her stomach, and the pine needles, if its the right kind, you can make a tea with em that makes a fine cold medicine. She had an interest in Herbology." Hershel patted her hands fondly. "If anything happens, just yell. I'll come running." Hershel said and then closed the door. He tugged her hands towards his mouth and slowly blew out his breath over them. After a few times, he pulled them under the covers and back against his chest. Her body curled closer, legs tucking against her chest and she groaned in pain. With her new position her ass pressed firmly against his crotch and if he shifted to put space between them it only put friction where he didn't need it. God damnit...he shifted and she moaned at the small movement, wiggling her body downward and rubbing her face against the side of his neck. Damnit! Things he did not need at this moment were a hard on, a half naked unconscious woman, and very limited space. And unfortunately that's exactly what he had. "Fuck this shit." He grumbled and leaned his seat back. Sleep would be the easiest way to skip this whole situation...if he could fall asleep...


End file.
